It was supposed to be an easy drive from Namagunga to Kampala, but 39 kilometers took us 7 hours. Uganda’s capital and largest city occupies a series of hills at an elevation of about 1,190 meters and is situated just north of Lake Victoria. Kampala lies just north of Mengo, the capital of the kingdom of Buganda, in the 19th century. It was selected in 1890 by Captain Frederick Lugard as the headquarters of the Imperial British East Africa Company. Lugard’s fort on Old Kampala Hill remained the Ugandan colonial administrative headquarters until 1905 when it was moved to Entebbe. In 1962, Kampala became the capital of independent Uganda.
It’s a dynamic, engaging city with several worthy attractions and a colorful history. On the first day, we explored the area around Owino Market, and on the other days, we drove with Bolt to different sights. First, we visited Mengo Palace, built in 1922. It is home to the king of Buganda. However, it has remained empty since 1966 when Prime Minister Milton Obote ordered a dramatic attack to oust Kabaka Mutesa II, then president of Uganda. Led by the forces of Idi Amin, soldiers stormed the palace, and after several days of fighting, Mutesa was forced into exile. The building’s interior cannot be visited (🎟️37000 UGX), but the notorious underground prison and torture-execution chamber built by Idi Amin in the 1970s is open to tours. On the grounds are also the scrap metal remains of Mutesa’s Rolls Royce destroyed by Idi Amin.
We felt scammed by paying a ticket (🎟️74000 UGX) to the Unesco World Heritage-listed Kasubi Tombs. They are significant to the Buganda kingdom as the burial place of its kings and royal family. The huge thatched-roof palace was initially built in 1882 as the palace of Kabaka Mutesa I before being converted into his tomb following his death two years later. The tombs were destroyed in an arson attack in March 2010, but they are still being rebuilt. Outside, forming a ring around the main section of the compound, are the homes of the families of the widows of former kabaka (kings). Royal family members are buried amid the trees out the back, and the whole place has the distinct feel of a small rural village. The visit took us a few minutes. It’s not worth visiting and paying for the overpriced ticket.
The city is home to several mosques (including the prominent National Mosque, whose construction began by Idi Amin in 1972 but was only completed in 2007 with a donation from Colonel Gadaffi), Hindu temples, and Christian churches (notably Namirembe Anglican Cathedral and Rubaga Roman Catholic Cathedral).
We found a great parking location downtown at Africana Hotel (40000 UGX / night) with toilets open 24/7 and Forex Bureau, where we changed our money (1 USD / 3640 UGX + 1000 UGX transaction fee). They also did a car wash (cabin of our truck for 20000 UGX) and our laundry (7 kg for 45000 UGX). Next to it is a Centenary park with several restaurants. The best, but expensive, was the Vitamin Cafe. Kampala’s nights are busy from Thursday to Sunday; we liked Safari Maze, Roza Dymz, Cat Walk, and Aura.
Parking location – Kampala: 0.318736N 32.594130E (🅿️,🚻,💦,🧺)