| la was built on a seven breath taking hills, cut up | | | | gateway to Uganda for most international |
| by delightful valleys, and swamps traversed by | | | | visitors), its central position. By 1900 the confines |
| sluggish streams, giving it entrancing cinerary | | | | of the fort had become too small for the |
| .Kampala hills not only provide a back drop of the | | | | distractive purposes, so it was decided to move |
| city and a panoramic view from any direction, but | | | | the colonial offices and government residences to |
| its living history and definition. The seven hills on | | | | Nakasero hill. Shops and other commercial |
| which the city was gradually built are: Rubaga, | | | | premises followed and flourished. |
| Namirembe (Mengo), Makerere, Kololo, Kibuli, | | | | Asian entrepreneurs flocked in and begun |
| Kampala (old Kampala) and Mulago. The three hills | | | | controlling part of the commercial activity. While |
| are dedicated to God: The catholic hill of Rubagga; | | | | the British planned and laid development for |
| Namirembe hill provides the headquoters of the | | | | Kampala, the Asians implemented it. They |
| Bristish church missionary society, and Kibuli is | | | | monopolised the serene business life rapidly |
| Muslim. Kololo and Nakasero were assigned for | | | | growing town. |
| diplomatic, residential and administrative purposes. | | | | With improvements of communication the growth |
| Mulago was set a side as the hill of the sick and | | | | of Kampala was assured. Between 1911 and 1945, |
| Makerere, the tower of knowledge. Kampala hill | | | | Kampala’s expansion followed closely the |
| remains a Fort, Muslim new mosque headquarters | | | | Patten of international events. World wars led to |
| and a small administrative centre. | | | | the depressions, while post-war years saw a |
| Kampala the garden city of Africa grew into | | | | boom impetus and trade expansion. |
| Uganda capital partly from historic accidents that | | | | The commercial and administrative growth was |
| started over centuries ago in the Kingdom of | | | | replicate in the Kampala’s population |
| Buganda. Thought slightly over a 100 years old, | | | | growth rate. The population stress in the city |
| the city is now firmly east established as one of | | | | placed more additional demands on social and |
| the fasted growing commercial and business city | | | | physical infrastructures, including housing, water |
| on the continent, home to more than 2 million | | | | sanitation, electricity, health units and schools. |
| people. | | | | From 1930s steady progress was made to |
| Its form this development that Kampala manage | | | | provide piped water, electricity (at first by |
| to host the Common Wealth meeting in 2007, | | | | generators) hard roads drainage services and |
| which lead to the development and rehabilitation | | | | water-born sanitation. The church missionary |
| of New Hotels around. | | | | society had already established a hospital at |
| The word Kampala come from the word | | | | Mengo hill in 1897; the British set up Mulago |
| “Impala” a type of antelope, which | | | | hospital in the early 1920s. These services |
| the 19th century Kings of Buganda used to graze | | | | contributed to the improvement of health and |
| on the slop of the hill near Mengo palace. Most of | | | | other social facilities, and subsequent status of all |
| the are were the present day Kampala stands | | | | municipalities bestowed onto Kampala on January |
| was wetland and mash, dominated by rolling hills, | | | | 1, 1949. |
| an ideal habitat for the impala, grazed on the hills | | | | In the field of education, work on Makerere |
| and came down to the wetlands for water. | | | | College (now Makerere University) started in 1922 |
| In those days places were named after events | | | | at Makerere hill. Dozens of primary and secondary |
| or things associated with them. So the Bristish | | | | schools have been built in and around Kampala |
| reffered to the area as the Hill of the Impala | | | | were also built till date. Missionaries and Asians |
| Kasozi Kampala. So, whenever the Kabake (king) | | | | took the lead in the sector were Luganda, gujrat, |
| left his palace to go hunting, the Royal guards | | | | urdu, and English were the major languages of |
| could tell his visitors that he had gone to Kampala | | | | instructions in schools. |
| to hunt; the name Kampala stuck. | | | | After 1945 Kampala’s development kept |
| The Name”hill of the Impala” was | | | | pace with increasing volume of commercial |
| given specifically to the hill on which captain | | | | activities. This was particularly so in the 1950 s, |
| Fredrick Lord Lugard, a British admistrator, | | | | which saw tremendous construction of new office |
| established his camp in December 1890. this hill | | | | block, residential houses, maintenance of 160 km |
| was the imperial Bristish East African | | | | of roads in the town ship and the landscaping of |
| Company’s administrative headquarters | | | | kololo Airstrip ( now the national Heroes’ |
| until 1894, when the company collapsed and the | | | | cemetery). |
| headquarters of the protectorate was transferred | | | | To safeguard and protect the development work |
| to Entebbe. A small building existed on the hill was | | | | and projects, the British installed soldiers at |
| the new mosque is built; the building which is next | | | | strategic hill around Kampala. These military |
| to the mosques formed the first museum | | | | stations were transformed into fully-fledged |
| between 1908-1910. Unfortunately the site is not | | | | barracks. These were: Makindye , Mengo ( later |
| accessed to the public as it is the home of the | | | | referred to as Lubiri ) ,Kireka and Mbuya . |
| Uganda Muslim Supreme council. | | | | Kampala has undergone a remarkable |
| At this tinny Fort and administrative post, Lugard | | | | transformation since its conception in the 1890s. |
| Hoisted the Imperial British East African company | | | | In physical size it has grown from 19 square |
| flag on December 18th, 1890; it was replaced by | | | | kilometres to the present 80 square kilometres, |
| the union jack on April 1, 1893. The fort at | | | | an expansion that has been reflected |
| Kampala hill (now known as Old Kampala) | | | | administratively. |
| attracted several hundred people and a small | | | | In 1906 the settlement was declared a township. |
| township developed. Soon, traders erected shops | | | | In 1950 the first mayor of Kampala, Sir Amar |
| at the foot hill. | | | | Maini (C.B.E) was appointed. 9 the current mayor, |
| After this foundation was laid just before the turn | | | | Mr John Ssebagala-Kisito, is the seventh mayor) |
| of the 20th century, kampala began a speed | | | | On January 1, 1962, Kampala became a city |
| development. Its physical and climatological factors | | | | council. The City had kept its peace and had |
| favoured it more than any other spot for | | | | blossomed. Hence, on the day Uganda was |
| modernisation. Kampala was also advantage as | | | | granted independence, October 9th 1962, Kampala |
| easy access to Entebbe (the colonial capital and | | | | was finally declared capital of Uganda. |