Kampala - History, Features

0°19N 32°35E, pop (2000e) 739 000. Capital of Uganda, close to the N shore of L Victoria; founded, late 19th-c; capital, 1963; airport at Entebbe; railway; Makerere University (1922); banking, administration, fruit and vegetable trade, tea blending and packing, brewing, textiles, coffee, petrol depot; two cathedrals.

Kampala, Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
Map of Uganda showing the location of Kampala.
Coordinates: e_32_E___E_type:city 35 e°32′E °′E
Province	Kampala (district)
Area
- City	km²
Population
- City (2002)	1,208,544
- Urban	1,208,544
	estimated
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+1)

Kampala is the capital city of Uganda.

History

Before the arrival of the British, the Buganda King, the Kabaka had chosen the area that was to become Kampala as one of his favourite hunting grounds. In this case, the word "Impala" was adopted and the Baganda translated the "...hill of the Impala" as "Kasozi Ka Mpala" - "Kasozi" means "hill" in Luganda, "Ka" means "of" and the word Impala was pronouced with a silent "I" - thus "Mpala". When spoken in Luganda the "Ka" and "Mpala" sound like one word - "Ka'mpala", and soon whenever the Kabaka went hunting the Baganda would say "Kabaka a'genze e Ka'mpala" - "The Kabaka has gone to Ka'mpala".

Kampala grew up around a fort constructed by Frederick Lugard in 1890 for the British East Africa Company.

The city grew as the capital of the Buganda kingdom, from which several buildings survive, including the Kasubi Tombs (built in 1881), the Buganda Parliament, the Buganda Court of Justice and the Naggalabi Buddo Coronation Site.

Features

The main campus of Makerere University, one of East and Central Africa's premier institutes of higher learning, can be found in the Makerere Hill area of the City.

Like many cities, Kampala is said to be built on seven hills, although this isn't quite accurate.

The first hill in historical importance is Kasubi Hill, which is where the Kasubi Tombs of the previous Kabakas are housed. The second is Mengo Hill where the present Kabaka's Palace is and the Headquarters of the Buganda Court of Justice. The third is Kibuli Hill, which is home to the Kibuli Mosque. The seventh, the little hill of Kampala, the hill of the Impala is where the ruins of Lugard's Fort were.

This hill is where Kampala got its name.

The City spread to Nakasero Hill where the administrative centre and the wealthiest residential area is. Mulago Hill is the site of Mulago Hospital, which is the largest hospital in Uganda. The city is now rapidly expanding along both sides of the Makindye Hill and Konge Hill.

Suburbs include Kololo in the East on Kololo Hill the highest hill, home to the Uganda Museum; It is known as the Mother Temple of Africa and is situated on Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of the city.