TOURISM CITIES AND TOWNS IN UGANDA
Kampala
Kampala is the capital city. It is the largest by a considerable margin, the only one with a population of over 8 million more than the next biggest city.
Kampala is the main economic center of Uganda and thus has a diverse ethnic population. Kampala is also the capital of the central region. The following are details of Kampala city;
Population: 8.5million.
District: Kampala
Region: central region.
Demonyms: Munakampala
Elevation: 1,189m
Land area: 176square kilometers
Climate: Tropical rainforest
Weather: 2 yearly wet season that is from August to December and February to June with the average temperature of 77 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit (25-29 degrees Celsius).
Kampala Attractions: Owino Market, Rubaga Cathedral, the 7 Hills of Kampala, kasubi Royal Tombs.
A few miles south of Kampala, you will find Entebbe international Airport.
Jinja
Jinja is a tourism city in Eastern Uganda, Busoga sub-region and one of the oldest cities. The name Jinja means stone
Population: 277,500
District: Jinja
Region: Eastern region
Land area: 216 square kilometers
Climate: tropical rainforest
Weather: 2 yearly wet season that is August to December and February and June.
Jinja attractions: source and the beauty of river Nile, Jinja Nile bridge, beautiful Busoga culture, power station, industrial sector, beautiful hotels, Kimaka airstrip, Lake Victoria, islands, fish landing sites, sports stadiums.
Nansana
Nansana is considered to be a working-class neighborhood. It is found in wakiso district about 7 miles northwest of the Capital city Kampala and around 5 miles south of the district capital of wakiso Town.
The name ‘Nansana’ came from a female ghost ‘Nansaana’ that was the Queen mother worshipped around the year 1300. The following are the details of Nansana;
Population: 365,124
District: Wakiso
Region: Central region
Elevation: 1,191m
Land area: 7.2 sq.km
Climate Tropical climate
Weather: Hot and Humid with 2 wet seasons that August to December and February to June
Attractions: Nexus Resorts and Hotels, 4*4 Uganda Nansana United Football Club.
Kira town
Kira town is part of the Wakiso district and lies northeast of Kampala city proper.
Kira town became a Municipal council in July 2015. It is the location of the biggest stadium in Uganda, Mandela National Stadium. The following are the details of Kira town;
Population: 317,157
District: Wakiso
Elevation: 1,189m
Land area: 98.83 sq. km
Climate: Tropical
Weather: Hot and Humid with 2 wet seasons that is August to December and February to June.
Attractions: Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Mandela National Stadium.
Ssabagabo
Ssabagabo is another town of the Metropolitan area, Ssabagabo also known as Makindye-ssabagabo or ssabagabo-Makindye. The following are the details of Ssabagabo;
Population: 283,272
District: Wakiso
Region: Central region
Elevation: 1,180m
Climate: 2 wet seasons to December and February to June
Mbarara city
Mbarara city is in western region of Uganda and serves as the capital of the region. It is about 168 miles from Kampala. It gained city status on 1st July 2020.
Mbarara has 2 main sections, Mbarara city North and Mbarara City South, which are split into 23 wards.
If you take into account that cities 2-4 on this list are part of the Great Kampala Metropolitan Area and don’t forget that Mbarara is considered as Uganda’s second city after Kampala. The following are details of Mbarara city;
Population: 195,531
District: Mbarara
Region: Western
Elevation: 1,481m
Land area: 81.15 sq. km
Climate: Tropical
Weather: warm and overcast with temperatures ranging from 58-82 degrees Fahrenheit (14-28 degrees Celsius)
Attractions: River Rwizi, Rwizi falls, Nkokonjeru palace, Mbarara city football Club, igongo cultural center, katete beach
Mukona Town
Mukono lies about 13miles (13km) east of Kampala, also on the north shores of Lake Victoria. Mukono gained municipal status in 2010. It is one of the fastest- growing urban areas in Uganda.
In 1991, there were 7406 inhabitants in the area that number ballooned to 91568 by 2002 and continue to grow up to 162710 by the time of 2014 census. The following are the details of Mukono town;
Population: 162710
District: Mukono
Region: Central region
Elevation: 1,246m
Land area: 31.4 sq.km
Climate: Tropical
Weather: Muggy, warm, overcast. Temperatures range from 62-82 degrees Fahrenheit (17 to 28 degrees Celsius)
Attractions: Mukono Central Market, Uganda Christian University, Mukono United Football Club.
Njeru
Njeru is a city that is on the bank of the River Nile located 71km east of Kampala and around 38km northeast of the district capital of Buikwe. It gained a municipal council in July 2015.
Njeru is the biggest city in Buikwe District. It also has some manufacturers like Nile Breweries and Nyanza Textiles Industries. The following are details of Njeru city;
Population: 159549
District: Buikwe
Region: Central
Elevation: 1,097km
Land area: 7.1 sq. km
Climate: Tropical
Weather: lots of rain even during the dry season, 79.3 inches(2015mm) of precipitation per year; average temperature of 71 degrees Fahrenheit and 22 degrees Celsius.
Attractions: River Nile, Nile Breweries, Nyanza Textiles
Gulu
Gulu is a city in the Northern Region of Uganda and it lies about 333km from Kampala.
Gulu was the site of refugee camps with many refugees of Sudan, Rwanda and Congo. There were as many as an estimated 2 million people who lived in these camps at one point. Unfortunately, there has been some unrest in the area where Gulu is located with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) waging guerilla warfare there. The following are details of Gulu city;
Population: 150306
District: Gulu
Region: Northern region
Elevation: 1,097m
Land area: 66.51 sq. km
Climate: Tropical
Weather: Heaviest rain from March to November, August being the rainiest month, average of 59.4 inches/ 1,507mm of precipitation per year; average temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit and 23 degrees Celsius
Attractions: Pece War Memorial Stadium, Gulu United FC, Gulu University, Kweyo Beach, Gulu international airport, st. joseph cathedral Gulu