Banda is a hill that lies in
Nakawa Division Nakawa Division is one of the five administrative divisions of the city of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. The town of Nakawa is the site of the division headquarters.
Location
Nakawa Division lies in the eastern part of the city, ...
, within
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...
, the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
. Banda also refers to the neighborhoods on the slopes of the hill and between Banda Hill and
Kireka
Kireka is the name of a township in Central Uganda. It is one of the six townships or ''Wards'' that constitute Kira Municipality in Wakiso District. The other five ''Wards'' in Kira Municipality are Bweyogerere Ward, Kimwaanyi Ward, Kira Ward ...
, extending all the way to the
Kampala-Jinja Highway. The southwestern slopes of the hill are occupied by the neighbourhood known as
Kyambogo
Kyambogo is a neighborhood in Kampala, Uganda. It is within Nakawa Division, an administrative borough of Kampala, Uganda's capital city.
Location
Kyambogo sits on Banda Hill, which rises to an altitude of , above sea level. The neighborhood is ...
, and is the location of the campus of
Kyambogo University
Kyambogo University (KYU) is a public university in Uganda. It is one of the eight public universities and degree-awarding institutions in the country with the motto, "Knowledge and Skills for Service."
History
Kyambogo University was establishe ...
, one of the nine public universities in the country.
Location
Banda is bordered by
Kiwaatule
Kiwaatule is a township within the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital.
Location
Kiwaatule is bordered by Najjera to the north, Naalya to the east, Banda to the south, Ntinda to the south-west, Kigoowa to the west, and Kulambiro to the north-west. ...
to the north,
Kireka
Kireka is the name of a township in Central Uganda. It is one of the six townships or ''Wards'' that constitute Kira Municipality in Wakiso District. The other five ''Wards'' in Kira Municipality are Bweyogerere Ward, Kimwaanyi Ward, Kira Ward ...
to the east,
Kinnawattaka to the southeast,
Mbuya
Mbuya is a hill in southeastern Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The hill rises above sea level. The name also applies to the upscale residential neighborhood that sits on that hill, as well as the government military installations located ...
to the south,
Nakawa
Nakawa is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is also the location of the headquarters of Nakawa Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala.
Location
Nakawa is located on the eastern edge of the city of Kamp ...
to the southwest,
Ntinda
Ntinda is a location in northeastern Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.
Location
Ntinda lies in Nakawa Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala. It is bordered by Kyambogo to the east, Nakawa to the south, Naguru to the we ...
to the west and northwest. The location of the hill is approximately , by road, east of
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...
's
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
. The coordinates of Banda Hill are:0°21'14.0"N, 32°37'57.0"E (Latitude:0.353889; Longitude:32.632500).
History
The full name of Banda is Bandabalogo. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans,
Kabaka Muteesa I Mukaabya Walugembe Kayiira, the 30th Kabaka of the
Kingdom of Buganda
Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Buganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 m ...
, who reigned from 1856 until 1884, maintained a palace on the hill. It was at this palace that British explorer
John Hanning Speke
Captain John Hanning Speke (4 May 1827 – 15 September 1864) was an English explorer and officer in the Indian Army (1895–1947), British Indian Army who made three exploratory expeditions to Africa. He is most associated with the search ...
met Kabaka Walugembe Muteesa I in 1862. Muteesa detained Speke for some months before finally releasing him in his quest to look for the source of the
Nile River
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest rive ...
. At Banda, Muteesa faced many misfortunes, which he attributed to ill luck or witch-craft, thus the name Bandabalogo ("Wizards of Banda"). From the 1862 visit of
John Speke
Captain John Hanning Speke (4 May 1827 – 15 September 1864) was an English explorer and officer in the British Indian Army who made three exploratory expeditions to Africa. He is most associated with the search for the source of the Nile ...
to Kabaka Muteesa1 death in 1884 the kibuga (capital)/palace relocated Five times as follows from Banda to
Nakawa
Nakawa is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is also the location of the headquarters of Nakawa Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala.
Location
Nakawa is located on the eastern edge of the city of Kamp ...
hill then onto
Lubaga
Lubaga is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. It comes from the Luganda word ''okubaga'', describing a process of "planning" or "strengthening" a structure while constructing it. For example, ''okubaga ekisenge'' means to stre ...
hill then briefly at
Namirembe
Namirembe is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. It is also a common name given to girls in several Baganda clans. Namirembe comes from the Luganda word "mirembe" meaning ''peace''. Namirembe loosely translates into ''Full of ...
hill and finally to
Kasubi hill
Kasubi is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
Location
Kasubi is bordered by Kawaala to the north, Makerere to the east, Naakulabye to the southeast, Lusaze to the southwest, Lubya to the west, and Namungoona to the northwest ...
were in 1884 Muteesa 1 died.
Kasubi hill
Kasubi is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
Location
Kasubi is bordered by Kawaala to the north, Makerere to the east, Naakulabye to the southeast, Lusaze to the southwest, Lubya to the west, and Namungoona to the northwest ...
that was initially called Nabulagala but
Kabaka Muteesa 1 renamed it
Kasubi
Kasubi is a hill in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
Location
Kasubi is bordered by Kawaala to the north, Makerere to the east, Naakulabye to the southeast, Lusaze to the southwest, Lubya to the west, and Namungoona to the northwest ...
, after his mother's village in Kyaggwe County, now known as
Mukono District
Mukono is one of the districts in the Central Region of Uganda. The town of Mukono is home to the district's main commercial center and district headquarters.
Location
Mukono District is bordered by Kayunga District to the north, Jinja Distric ...
. Today, the great, great grandson of Muteesa I,
Muwenda Mutebi II
Ronald Edward Frederick Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II (born 13 April 1955) is the reigning Kabaka (also known as king) of the Kingdom of Buganda, a constitutional kingdom in modern-day Uganda. He is the 36th ''Kabaka'' of Buganda.
He was appointed a ...
of the reigning Buganda monarch, maintains a palace at the summit of this hill with the entrance facing west, as is the tradition.
Starting in 1958, the government of Uganda began establishing educational institutions on the southern and southwestern slopes of the hill, in the neighborhood known as
Kyambogo
Kyambogo is a neighborhood in Kampala, Uganda. It is within Nakawa Division, an administrative borough of Kampala, Uganda's capital city.
Location
Kyambogo sits on Banda Hill, which rises to an altitude of , above sea level. The neighborhood is ...
. The institutions were merged in 2001 to form
Kyambogo University
Kyambogo University (KYU) is a public university in Uganda. It is one of the eight public universities and degree-awarding institutions in the country with the motto, "Knowledge and Skills for Service."
History
Kyambogo University was establishe ...
, the third public university established in the country.
Overview
At the top of the hill is a
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
detach. Banda is also the location of
Nabisunsa Girls’ School, a public residential all-girl high school, located north and east of the university.
Kyambogo College School, a mixed, public non-residential secondary school is also located on the hill.
On the higher reaches of the hill are located upscale residential homes. On the lower reaches of the hill, there are shops, small-scale industries, a stone quarry, warehouses and low-income rental residencies. The
Somali entrepreneur
Amina Moghe Hersi
Amina Hersi Moghe ( so, Aamina Xirsi Mooge , ar, أمينة موجي هرسي) (born 1964) is a Somali entrepreneur. She has launched several multimillion-dollar projects in Kampala, Uganda. Her investments include ''Oasis Shopping Mall'' in K ...
owns Kingstone Enterprises Limited, a cement distributorship, whose headquarters are located in Banda.
Points of interest
The following points of interest lie on Banda Hill or close to it:
*
Kyambogo University
Kyambogo University (KYU) is a public university in Uganda. It is one of the eight public universities and degree-awarding institutions in the country with the motto, "Knowledge and Skills for Service."
History
Kyambogo University was establishe ...
- One of the nine public universities in Uganda
* Kyambogo College School - A mixed, non-residential public secondary school
*
Nabisunsa Girls Secondary School - An all-girl residential secondary school
* The Banda Palace of
Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II
* A military detach of the
Uganda People's Defense Force
The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...
, a unit of the Special Forces Group (SFG), offers personal security to the
Kabaka of Buganda
the kabaka Palace in kireka
Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and ...
.
* The headquarters of Kingstone Enterprises Limited, a
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mix ...
distributorship; one of the companies of
Amina Moghe Hersi
Amina Hersi Moghe ( so, Aamina Xirsi Mooge , ar, أمينة موجي هرسي) (born 1964) is a Somali entrepreneur. She has launched several multimillion-dollar projects in Kampala, Uganda. Her investments include ''Oasis Shopping Mall'' in K ...
.
* Reach Out Mbuya Parish HIV/AIDS Initiative - A branch of reach Out Mbuya that offers care and support to HIV/AIDS people in the urban areas.
See also
*
Kira Town
Kira Town, a municipality in the Wakiso District of the Central Region of Uganda, is the country's second-largest city by population. It is administered by the Kira Town Council, an urban local government.
Location
Kira town council was elevate ...
*
Kireka
Kireka is the name of a township in Central Uganda. It is one of the six townships or ''Wards'' that constitute Kira Municipality in Wakiso District. The other five ''Wards'' in Kira Municipality are Bweyogerere Ward, Kimwaanyi Ward, Kira Ward ...
*
Amina Moghe Hersi
Amina Hersi Moghe ( so, Aamina Xirsi Mooge , ar, أمينة موجي هرسي) (born 1964) is a Somali entrepreneur. She has launched several multimillion-dollar projects in Kampala, Uganda. Her investments include ''Oasis Shopping Mall'' in K ...
*
Kampala Capital City Authority
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is the legal entity, established by the Ugandan Parliament, that is responsible for the operations of the capital city of Kampala in Uganda. It replaced the Kampala City Council (KCC).
Location
The headqu ...
References
External links
Kampala City Guide
{{coord, 00, 21, 14, N, 32, 37, 57, E, display=title
Cities in the Great Rift Valley
Nakawa Division
Central Region, Uganda