Masaka is a city in the Buganda Region of Uganda, west of

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...

. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District.

Location

Masaka is approximately to the south-west 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 R ...

on the highway to

Mbarara Mbarara City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda and the second largest city in Uganda after Kampala. The city is divided into 6 boroughs of Kakoba Division, Kamukuzi Division, Nyamitanga Division, Biharwe Division, Kakiika Division, Nyaka ...

. The city is close to the

Equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can also ...

. The coordinates of Masaka are 0°20'28.0"S, 31°44'10.0"E (Latitude:-0.341111; Longitude:31.736111). Masaka lies at an average elevation of above sea level.

History

Masaka was founded as a township in 1953. It became a town council in 1958 and a municipality in 1968. Masaka was a strategically important location during the

Uganda–Tanzania War The Uganda–Tanzania War, known in Tanzania as the Kagera War (Kiswahili: ''Vita vya Kagera'') and in Uganda as the 1979 Liberation War, was fought between Uganda and Tanzania from October 1978 until June 1979 and led to the overthrow of Ugan ...

(1978–79), and was accordingly

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mili ...

ed by Uganda Army troops. These soldiers terrorized the local civilians, and most fled the town. On 23–24 February 1979, the

Tanzania People's Defence Force The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) ( sw, Jeshi la Ulinzi la Wananchi wa Tanzania) is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force ...

and allied Ugandan rebels attacked the settlement, resulting in the

Battle of Masaka The Battle of Masaka (Kiswahili: ''Mapigano ya Masaka'') was a battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War that took place from 23 February to 24 February 1979 in the town of Masaka, Uganda. Following an artillery bombardment, most of the Ugandan gove ...

. The town was bombarded with artillery, and fell to the Tanzanian-led forces after light resistance. The Tanzanians subsequently levelled much of the town to take revenge for atrocities committed by the Uganda Army during its previous invasion of northwestern Tanzania. In course of the

Ugandan Bush War The Ugandan Bush War, also known as the Luwero War, the Ugandan Civil War or the Resistance War, was a civil war fought in Uganda by the official Ugandan government and its armed wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), against a number o ...

, Masaka again suffered from fighting. The town was garrisoned by the Uganda National Liberation Army which served as Uganda's national army at the time. In late 1985,

National Resistance Army The National Resistance Army (NRA), the military wing of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Ugandan Bush War or Luwero War, against the government of Milton Obote, and ...

rebels laid siege to the town. After heavy combat, Masaka's garrison surrendered on 10 December 1985. In 2019 the

Cabinet of Uganda There are 32 Cabinet ministers and 50 Ministers of State in the Cabinet of Uganda (2021 to 2026). According to Section 111 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, as amended in 2005, "There shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, ...

, resolved to award Masaka, city status effective July 2023. In November of the same year, Cabinet revised the date of city status to 1 July 2020. As of June 2021, the city of Masaka occupied a total area in excess of . Masaka City Council, with assistance from the Central Ugandan government and the World Bank is in the process of implementing major road and street improvements, as part of the Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program. The city has a working budget of USh73 billion (approx. US$21 million), in the 2020/2021 financial year.

Population

According to the 2002 national census, the population of Masaka was about 67,800. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 73,300. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 74,100. In August 2014, the national population census put the population at 103,829. In 2020, UBOS estimated the mid-year population of Masaka City at 116,600 people. The population agency calculated the population growth rate of the town to average 2.11 percent, between 2014 and 2020.

Overview

In 2016, before the metropolis attained city status, Masaka occupied . It was divided into three administrative divisions, (a) Katwe-Butego (b) Kimaanya-Kyabakuza and (c) Nyendo-Ssenyange. It is further subdivided into 54 zones. The annual

Uganda Marathon The Uganda Marathon is a long-distance running event held in Masaka, Uganda. The event was first run on 24 May 2015 and has been held in the Summer of every year since. the primary function of the marathon is to support community projects in th ...

event takes place in June, the race route loops twice through the town and the funds generated support local employment and community development.

Points of interest

The following points of interest are located in Masaka or close to its borders: (a) the offices of Masaka City Council (b) Masaka central market (c) the headquarters of the Mechanized Brigade 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– ...

(d) the main campus of Muteesa I Royal University (d) Western Campus of

Kampala University Kampala University (KU) is a fully fledged, private, chartered, recognized and accredited university in Uganda. Location , KU maintained the following campuses: 1. Ggaba: The main campus is in a neighborhood in Makindye Division, approximatel ...

(e) St. Henry's College Kitovu. Other points of interest include (f) the headquarters of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka The Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka ( la, Masakaën(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Masaka in the Ecclesiastical province of Kampala in Uganda. History * May 25, 1939: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Masaka from the Apostolic ...

(g)

Lake Nabugabo Lake Nabugabo is a small freshwater lake in Uganda. Location The lake is in Masaka District, Central Region of Uganda, approximately , by road, east of the town of Masaka. Overview Lake Nabugabo is a satellite lake of Lake Victoria, being only ...

, to the east of downtown Masaka. (h)

Bukakkata Bukakata, sometimes spelled as Bukakkata, is a lakeside town in Masaka District, Central Uganda. Location Bukakata is located approximately by road east of Masaka, the nearest large city. This location is on the western shores of Lake Victori ...

, on the shores of

, about east of Masaka. (i)

Masaka Regional Referral Hospital Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, commonly known as Masaka Hospital is a hospital in the city of Masaka, in south-central Uganda. It is the referral hospital for the districts of Kalangala District, Lyantonde, Masaka and Sembabule, Kalungu, ...

(j) Masaka Currency Center, a currency storage and processing facility owned and operated by the

Bank of Uganda The Bank of Uganda ( sw, Benki Kuu ya Uganda) is the central bank of Uganda. Established in 1966, by Act of Parliament, the bank is wholly owned by the government but is not a government department. History In 1979 and again in 1987, the Ba ...

, Uganda's

central bank A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union, and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a centra ...

. (k) A branch of the National Social Security Fund.

Notable people

Edward Ssekandi Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi (born 19 January 1942) is a Ugandan politician and lawyer who served as the eighth vice president of Uganda from 24 May 2011 to 21 June 2021. Prior to that, he served as the Speaker of Parliament from 2001 to 2011. He ser ...

, Vice President of Uganda * (Edrisa Musuuza), Performing Artist *

Charles Mayiga Charles Peter Mayiga (born 1962) is a Ugandan lawyer, cultural leader and author. He is the current '' katikkiro'' (prime minister) in the government of Buganda, a constitutional monarchy in present-day Uganda. He was appointed to that position ...

katikkiro of Buganda * Mukasa Mbidde politician and economist * Wilson Bugembe musician *

Herman Basudde Herman Basudde (1958–1997) was a Ugandan kadongo kamu musician. Basudde was born in Masaka District, in southern Uganda. Background Born on December 5, 1958 to Eria Katende and Dimitiria Namyalo, of Bubundo, Masaka. He attended Kibanda Prim ...

late performing artist

Photos

The Uganda international marathon route loops Masaka Town, many photos of the town on their website

References

Works cited

External links

Masaka District Internet PortalRiver Of Life Church & OrphanageUganda International Marathon, Masaka
{{coord, 00, 20, 28, S, 31, 44, 10, E, display=title Populated places in Central Region, Uganda Cities in the Great Rift Valley Lake Victoria Masaka District