Kampala is capital and largest city of Uganda serving as the commercial, administrative and industrial center stretching up to Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake shared by the three East African Countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania and it has a population of over 2 million people as per 2014 population census enumerated by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. The city has been divided into 5 divisions under the central government including Kampala Central division, Makindye division, Nakawa division, Rubaga division and Kawempe division.

Kampala derived its name from the Impala, one of the antelope species common in Uganda upon the arrival of the British colonial masters who then named the hunting ground Hills of the Impala which in Luganda translates to “Akazosi ke’Empala”  but the British could not mention the Luganda word hence called it Kampala.

The best way to explore these attractions is through a Kampala city tour in the comfort of a van.

Brief History Of Buganda Kingdom

Culturally, Kampala sits on Buganda land with its original inhabitants being the Baganda-a bantu speaking people commonly referred to as the Ganda native to Buganda Kingdom, a sub-national kingdom in central Uganda with the largest ethic people and traditional kingdoms in Uganda currently under the rule of a king locally known as Kabaka, Muwenda Mutebi II said to be the 36th Kabaka of Buganda with a current queen, locally called the Nnabagereka, being Queen Sylvia Nagginda. Buganda Kingdom eats up all the Central Region of Ugandaand legend has it that the first king of Buganda was Kato Kintu, who founded Kintu Dynasty, Buganda then later grew  and expanded to become one of the largest and most superior kingdoms in East Africa around the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

In 1894, Buganda became the centre of the Uganda British Protectorate during the Scramble for Africa, the name Uganda, is a Swahili term for Buganda created by the British colonial administrators whose rule ended on 9^th October, 1962 when Uganda gained independence. The Head of Government is the Katikkiro (Prime Minister) Charles Mayiga, who was appointed by the Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II in 2013 and their parliament is the Lukiiko but in 1966, the then Prime Minister (President) Sir Apollo Milton Obote abolished the kingdoms and in 1993 the current Ugandan president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni revived the operation of Kingdoms countrywide.

Buganda was an almost entirely monarchy under the Kabaka who also appointed three types of chief: bakungu (administrative) chiefs, traditional bataka chieftans, and batangole chiefs, representing the Kabaka and responsible for maintaining internal security, supervising royal estates and military operations. All these took place before the Buganda Agreement of 1900.

The first Europeans to penetrate the Kingdom of Buganda were John Hanning Speke and Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton who were British explorers searching for the source of the of the Nile in 1862 and then followed by explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley in 1875 who added Buganda about 3,000 troops and a fleet of war canoes to protect the kingdom along the Lake Victoria areas.

Cultural Sites In Kampala

1- Kasubi Tombs.

This is the burial site for the Buganda kings and those with royal blood or members. All the four late Buganda monarchs were buried here including;

• Muteesa I (1935-1884)
• Mwanga II (1867-1903) who died in exile and remains returned from the Seychelles Island in 1910.
• Daudi Chwa II (1896-1939)
• Sir Edward Muteesa II (1924-1969) died in exile in London and his remains returned in 1971.

In 2001 Kasubi tombs was declared a UNESCO world heritage site because of its traditional hut built purely out of Grass, wood and fibre making it not only a cultural place but spiritual and political to the Ganda people.

2 – Mengo hill

On this hill stands the main palace of the Kabaka of Buganda kingdom called Lubiri or Mengo palace and it is where the 1900 Buganda agreement was signed between the Kabaka of Buganda and the British colonial officials which officially turned Uganda into a British protectorate.

3- Namugongo Martyrs Shrine

This is a worship place affiliated to the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church in Namugongo Township, Kira Municipality, Wakiso district. It is the ground where Uganda Martyrs consisting of 32 young men were burnt to death on 3^rd June, 1886 following strict orders from then King Mwanga II of Buganda for resisting to denounce Christianity and this shrine was built in honor of them, every year on 3^rd June, Christians from all over the world visit this place for a pilgrimage and it has become a tourist attraction in Uganda.

4- Bulange

This is the Administrative headquarters of the Buganda kingdom and houses the Lukiiko (parliament) of the kingdom with Kabaka (King) and Katikkiro (Prime minister) having well maintained offices. It is for administration and Parliament the Kabaka holds meetings with members of the Buganda Lukiiko (Buganda Parliament), the Lukiiko used to sit under trees on grass but later the then Prime Minister Sir Apollo Kaggwa who decided to build a new Bulange with bricks, he gave Alidina Visram, an Indian contractor the construction deal and work was started in 1902.

5- The Kabaka’s Palace

This is also known as Mengo palace was built in 1922. It is the main palace of Buganda Kingdom which became a notorious underground prison, torture and execution chamber built by Idi Amin in the 1970s with a dark concrete tunnel bearing numerous dark, damp cells which were separated by an electrified passage of water to prevent escape of the captives.

6- Kabaka’s Lake

It is regarded as the largest man-made lake in Uganda located in Ndeeba, Rubaga Division in Kampala City, Uganda between Ring Road and Nabunya Road with a serene water body dotted with numerous birds like the little egrets making it pose as a clear legacy of Kabaka Mwanga ll, who was among the 36 Kings to have ruled the Buganda Kingdom.

7- Ndere Centre

Ndere Centre is the Cultural home with Ndere Troupe and it is the headquarters of Uganda Development Theatre Association built on 9 acres of well maintained green, beautifully flowered walk ways shaded by very mature fruit and other African tree species. The rare architecture brings the best combination of artistic impressions with simplicity in the African forms, materials, colors and construction with amazing cultural songs, dances and unique instruments from the 56 known tribes of Uganda, performances take place every Wednesday and Friday at 7pm, and Sundays at 6pm at the center in Ntinda along the Kisasi road, Kampala city.

There are plenty of other fascinating cultural site you can visit when you rent a car in Kampala city for self drive trip or guided tour , but the above 7 represent the real deal when it comes to showcasing Kampala’s history and culture. For more info about a tour in Kampala city, simply get in touch with us by sending an email to [email protected] or call us now at +256-700135510 to speak with us reservation.

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