Kampala is Uganda’s largest urban center, a city surrounded by seven hills. It is the capital city of Uganda involved with different tribes who always come from far distant places of Uganda for business activities. The seven hills include Rubaga, Old Kampala, Mulago, Kololo, Kibuli, Namirembe and Makerere. Although Kampala seems to have out grown its title of city on seven hills, the original seven summits remain topped by distinctive landmarks of religious cultural and colonial significance.
The history of Kampala has both folklore and historical facts. According to the folklore, swamps and hills dominated much of the area where it presently stands. This made it an ideal habitat for impala and other members of the antelope family. The animals grazed on the slopes of the hills and came down to the swamps for water. The palace of the Kabaka of Buganda, located on the landscape rich in impala herds. The king thus turned it into his hunting grounds. Folklore merged with history when the British referred to the area as the ‘hill of impala’ which was translated in Luganda as ‘Kasozi K’empala. So whenever the king left the palace to go hunting his favorite game, royal people could say “the Kabaka has gone to Kampala to hunt thus the name was born. It is on this Old Kampala hill that Fredrick Lugard established and put up his fort.
Kampala city a commercial and administrative capital of Uganda spread over more than twenty hills. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. Its architecture is a mixture of the modern, the colonial and the Indian. It enjoys pleasant whether with annual temperatures average 17c minimum and 27c maximum. To the south is Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest fresh water lake and the source of the longest river in the world, the river Nile.
A few meters from Kololo hill, is Lugogo a town that never runs out of music concerts, conferences and sports events. It is the home for Ugandan sport, with the headquarters for Uganda Olympic committee, national council for sports, rugby clubs, hockey, indoor basketball and much more sports grounds. Every month you are assured of a music concert either at Kyadondo Rugby grounds or Lugogo cricket oval. Because of Lugogo’s strategic location, it is very easy for you to get to the national theater for music performances and plays, or to theater LA Bonita for comedy and plays.
On Thursday evening you can hook up with the French community and students at alliance Francaise kamyokya for a free movie night. It is a wonderful place to be, in terms of experiencing a blend of the French culture and the Ugandan culture.