Muhanga is a town in the
Western Region of
Uganda
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
. It is the main commercial centre and largest town of
Rukiga District. However, the district headquarters are located at
Mparo.
Location
Muhanga is located on the
Mbarara-Ntungamo-Kabale-Katuna Road, about , southwest of
Ntungamo, the nearest large town on the road from Katuna to Mbarara. This is about , by road, northeast of
Kabale
Kabale City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main city of Kabale District, and the district headquarters are located at Makanga hills.
It is sometimes nicknamed "Kastone" as in the local Rukiga language, a "kabale" is a sma ...
, the largest city in the
Kigezi sub-region
Kigezi sub-region is a region in Western Uganda that consists of the following districts:
* Kabale District
* Kanungu District
* Kisoro District
* Rukungiri District
The area covered by the above districts constituted the former Kigezi Dist ...
. Muhanga is approximately , by road, southwest of
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...
, the largest city and
capital
Capital and its variations may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital
** List of national capitals
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter
Econom ...
of Uganda. The geographical coordinates of Muhanga, Rukiga are: 01°10'16.0"S, 30°07'27.0"E (Latitude:-1.171111; Longitude:30.124167).
Overview
The town is subdivided into several wards, including (a) Muhanga Central (b) Butare (c) Highland (d) Nyakabungo and (e) Rutare.
Muhanga became a town council in 2010. Prior to that, it was a trading center, established in the 1970s. Due to its proximity to the international border with
Rwanda
Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
, smuggling of goods across the common border has contributed to its rapid growth.
The smuggling has since stopped, according to James Tumwijukye, the town's current mayor.
Population
According to the
Uganda Bureau of Statistics
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics ("UBOS") is an agency of the Ugandan government. Formed by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Act, 1998, the agency is mandated to "coordinate, monitor and supervise Uganda's National Statistical System".
Locatio ...
(UBOS), as of the August 2014 national census and household survey, Muhanga Town Council comprised 2,766 households. The average family size was 4.1, with a total of 5,87 males and 5,859 females in the town. The total population of the town at that time was 11,706 people.
Points of interest
Muhanga has a central fresh produce market that opens daily. The town is also home to ''Bukinda Primary Teacher’s College'', eight primary schools and six secondary schools.
References
External links
Rukiga District Web Portal
{{coord, 01, 10, 16, N, 30, 07, 27, E, type:city, display=title
Populated places in Western Region, Uganda
Cities in the Great Rift Valley
Rukiga District