Kampala

Kampala was built across a set of hills north of Lake Victoria, each of which historically carried something: a palace, a cathedral, a mosque, a fort. The Buganda kingdom's sites are here, the Kasubi royal tombs, the Lubiri palace at Mengo and the parliament at Bulange; so are Namirembe and Rubaga cathedrals on their own hills and the Gaddafi mosque on Old Kampala hill, whose minaret is climbed for the best view over the city.

Background

Kampala, Uganda's largest city, had 1,797,722 people in the city proper at the 2024 census, divided into five divisions: Kampala Central, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa and Rubaga. Its metropolitan area, which takes in the neighbouring Wakiso, Mukono, Mpigi, Buikwe and Luweero districts, was estimated at 6,709,900 people in 2019 over 8,451.9 square kilometres. In 2018 it was among the fastest-growing cities in Africa, growing by 4.03 percent a year, and the consultancy Mercer has regularly placed it above Nairobi and Kigali as the most liveable city in East Africa.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kampala"

What's there

• The Gaddafi mosque minaret - climbed for the widest view over the whole city.
• The kingdom sites - Kasubi, the Lubiri at Mengo and the Bulange parliament.
• The hills - the seven original hills each carrying a religious or royal site.
• The markets - Owino and Nakasero, the dense trading heart of the city.

When to go

June to September and December to February are the drier windows. Traffic is worst in the morning and evening peaks. The city is warm year round at this altitude.

Good to know

Traffic congestion is severe and crossing the city can take hours. Boda boda motorcycle taxis are the fast option and also the most dangerous. Sites are scattered across different hills and a day covers few of them.

Nearby

Entebbe is south, and Mabira Forest is east.

Key facts