Masaka
Encyclopedia
Masaka is a town in Central Uganda
, lying west of Lake Victoria
. It is the chief town of Masaka District
. Besides being the headquarters of Masaka District, the town is the regional headquarters and largest metropolitan area in Lyantonde District
, Sembabule District
, Lwengo District
, Bukomansimbi District
, Kalungu District
, Masaka District
, Rakai District
, and Kalangala District
.
, on the highway to Mbarara
. The town lies very close to the Equator
, as can be seen from the latitude values. It was Uganda's second-biggest town for a long time. Today this status has changed, as the city was largely destroyed in the Uganda-Tanzania War
of 1979 and again in the 1981-1986 civil war that removed Obote
from power for the last time.
Central Region, Uganda
Central Region is a region of Uganda. It is coterminous with the Kingdom of Buganda, one of the ancient African monarchies that are constitutionally recognised in Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
, lying west of Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
. It is the chief town of Masaka District
Masaka District
Masaka District is a district in Central Uganda. Its main town is Masaka, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100.-Location:The district is bordered by Bukomansimbi District to the northwest, Kalungu District to the north, Kalangala District to the east and south, Rakai District to the...
. Besides being the headquarters of Masaka District, the town is the regional headquarters and largest metropolitan area in Lyantonde District
Lyantonde District
Lyantonde District is a district in southern Central Uganda. It is named after the 'chief town' of the district, Lyantonde, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
, Sembabule District
Sembabule District
Sembambule District is a district in Central Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Sembabule, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
, Lwengo District
Lwengo District
Lwengo District is a district in Central Uganda. It is named after Lwengo, the largest town in the district and the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
, Bukomansimbi District
Bukomansimbi District
Bukomansimbi District is a district in Central Uganda. The district is named after its main municipal center, Bukomansimbi, the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
, Kalungu District
Kalungu District
Kalungu District is a district in southern Central Uganda. It is named after the 'chief town' of the district, Kalungu, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
, Masaka District
Masaka District
Masaka District is a district in Central Uganda. Its main town is Masaka, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100.-Location:The district is bordered by Bukomansimbi District to the northwest, Kalungu District to the north, Kalangala District to the east and south, Rakai District to the...
, Rakai District
Rakai District
Rakai District is a district in Central Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Rakai.-Location:Rakai District borders Lyantonde District to the northwest, Lwengo District to the north, Masaka District to the northeast, Kalangala District to the east, the...
, and Kalangala District
Kalangala District
Kalangala is a district in southern Central Uganda. The district is coterminous with the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria and does not have territory on mainland Uganda...
.
Location
Masaka lies approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi) to the southwest of KampalaKampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, on the highway to Mbarara
Mbarara
Mbarara is a town in Western Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Mbarara District and the location of the district headquarters. It is also the largest urban centre in Western Uganda.-Location:...
. The town lies very close to the Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
, as can be seen from the latitude values. It was Uganda's second-biggest town for a long time. Today this status has changed, as the city was largely destroyed in the Uganda-Tanzania War
Uganda-Tanzania War
The Uganda–Tanzania War was fought between Uganda and Tanzania in 1978–1979, and led to the overthrow of Idi Amin's regime...
of 1979 and again in the 1981-1986 civil war that removed Obote
Obote
Obote may refer to:*Milton Obote, former president of Uganda*Miria Obote, Ugandan politician and widow of Milton Obote...
from power for the last time.
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 of the town at 73,300. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population of Masaka at 74,100.Economic activities
Most of the people are farmers with both cattle and other crops. Masaka used to be the highest producer of the indigenous banana food (locally referred to as Matooke). Other economic activities include:- Meat & Fish Processing
- Production of Beverages
- Furniture Manufacturing
- Manufacture of Footwear
- Manufacture of Baked Products
- Glass Manufacturing
Landmarks
The landmarks in Masaka or close to its borders include:- The headquarters of Masaka District AdministrationMasaka DistrictMasaka District is a district in Central Uganda. Its main town is Masaka, whose estimated population in 2011 was 74,100.-Location:The district is bordered by Bukomansimbi District to the northwest, Kalungu District to the north, Kalangala District to the east and south, Rakai District to the...
- The offices of Masaka Town Council
- Masaka Central Market
- The headquarters of the Mechanized Division of the Uganda People's Defense Force
- Muteesa I Royal UniversityMuteesa I Royal University-Location:The university has two campuses. The main campus is located in the city of Masaka, approximately , by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The second campus is located on Mengo Hill, the seat of the Buganda Government, within the city of Kampala. The coordinates...
- Established in 2007, in memory of the late Kabaka Muteesa I MukaabyaMuteesa I of BugandaMuteesa I Mukaabya Walugembe Kayiira was Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda, from 1856 until 1884. He was the thirtieth Kabaka of Buganda.-Claim to the throne:...
who reigned over the Kingdom of Buganda between 1856 until 1884. - The Western Campus of Kampala UniversityKampala University-Location:Kampala University has its main campus at Ggaba, a southeastern suburb of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The coordinates of the main campus are:00 15 38N, 32 38 02E. KU's second campus is located in another Kampala suburb of Mutundwe, southwest of the central business district...
(KU) - St. Henry's College KitovuSt. Henry's College KitovuSt. Henry's College Kitovu , is a boys-only boarding middle and high school in Masaka District, Central Uganda.-Location:The school campus is located on Kitovu Hill St. Henry's College Kitovu (SHACK), is a boys-only boarding middle and high school in Masaka District, Central Uganda.-Location:The...
- An all-boys, boarding, secondary school with a student body in exceess of 1,000 - The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka
- Lake NabugaboLake Nabugabo-Location:The lake is located in Masaka District, Central Uganda, approximately , by road, east of the town of Masaka. The coordinates of Lake Nabugabo are:00 22 12S, 31 54 00E .-Overview:...
lies 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) to the east to downtown Masaka. - BukakkataBukakkataBukakata, sometimes spelled as Bukakkata, is a lakeside town in Masaka District, Central Uganda.-Location:Bukakata is located approximately , by road, east Masaka, the nearest large city. This location is on the western shores of Lake Victoria, approximately , by boat, southwest of Entebbe...
, a port on the western shores of Lake VictoriaLake VictoriaLake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
is located 24 miles (38.6 km) east of Masaka. - Ssese IslandsSsese IslandsThe Ssese Islands are an archipelago of eighty-four islands in the northwestern part of Lake Victoria in Uganda. The islands are coterminous with the Kalangala District in southern Central Uganda, which does not have any territory on mainland Uganda....
in Lake Victoria - Masaka is the nearest large city from KalangalaKalangalaKalangala is the 'chief town' of Kalangala District in Central Uganda. It is the location of the headquarters of Kalangala District. The district is named after the town.-Location:...
, the largest town in these islands.
Other points of interest
Other points of interest within the town limits include the following:- A branch of Barclays BankBarclays Bank (Uganda)Barclays Bank Limited, commonly known as Barclays Bank , is a commercial bank in Uganda. It is one of the twenty-three commercial banks licensed by Bank of Uganda, the national banking regulator.-Overview:...
- A branch of Centenary BankCentenary BankCentenary Bank is a commercial bank in Uganda. It is one of the twenty-three licensed commercial banks in the country.-Overview:The bank is a mid-sized financial services provider in Uganda. It is primarily involved in the promotion of development through loans to rural farmers, processors of...
- A branch of DFCU BankDFCU BankDFCU Bank, commonly known as DFCU, but whose full name is Development Finance Company of Uganda Bank Limited, is a commercial bank in Uganda...
- A branch of PostBank UgandaPostBank UgandaPostBank Uganda is a non-bank credit institution in Uganda. As of May 2010, PostBank Uganda was a small credit institution whose asset base was estimated at about US$39 million.-History:...
- A branch of Bank of AfricaBank of AfricaBank of Africa is a multinational bank in Africa. Its first office was founded in Bamako, Mali in 1982.-Branches and subsidiaries:Bank of Africa:*BOA Group*Banque de l'Habitat du Benin in Cotonou, Benin*BOA Burkina Faso*BOA Côte d'Ivoire...
- A branch of Stanbic BankStanbic Bank (Uganda) LimitedStanbic Bank Limited is a commercial bank in Uganda. It is one of the commercial banks licensed by Bank of Uganda, the national banking regulator.-Overview:...
- A branch of Tropical BankTropical BankTropical Bank is a commercial bank in Uganda. As of April 2010, the bank is the 11th largest commercial bank in Uganda with an estimated asset valuation of US$110 million, representing approximately 3% of all bank assets in the country...
- A branch of Equity BankEquity BankEquity Bank is a financial services provider headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It is one of the forty-four commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator. , Equity Bank had the largest customer base in Kenya, with over 5.7 million accounts...
- A branch of Crane BankCrane BankCrane Bank is a commercial bank in Uganda. It is one of the twenty-three commercial banks licensed by the Bank of Uganda, the national banking regulator.-Overview:The bank is a mid-sized financial services provider in Uganda...
- A branch of Opportunity Uganda LimitedOpportunity Uganda LimitedOpportunity Uganda Limited , is a credit institution in Uganda.-Location:The head offices of Opportunity Uganda Limited are located at 7 Babiiha Avenue, on Kololo Hill, an upscale business and residential neighborhood, within the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital...
- A Tier II Financial InstitutionBanking in Uganda-The early years:Prior to Uganda’s independence in 1962, Government-owned institutions dominated most banking in Uganda. In 1966 the Bank of Uganda, which controlled the issue of currency and managed foreign exchange reserves, became the Central Bank. Uganda Commercial Bank, which had fifty... - A branch of Pride Microfinance LimitedPride Microfinance LimitedPride Microfinance Limited , is a Microfinance Deposit-taking Institution in Uganda.-Location:The headquarters of PML are located in Metropole House, on Entebbe Road, in the central business district of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
- A Tier III Financial InstitutionBanking in Uganda-The early years:Prior to Uganda’s independence in 1962, Government-owned institutions dominated most banking in Uganda. In 1966 the Bank of Uganda, which controlled the issue of currency and managed foreign exchange reserves, became the Central Bank. Uganda Commercial Bank, which had fifty... - A branch of Uganda Finance Trust LimitedUganda Finance Trust LimitedUganda Finance Trust Limited , commonly called Finance Trust, is a Microfinance Deposit-taking Institution in Uganda.-Location:...
- A Tier III Financial InstitutionBanking in Uganda-The early years:Prior to Uganda’s independence in 1962, Government-owned institutions dominated most banking in Uganda. In 1966 the Bank of Uganda, which controlled the issue of currency and managed foreign exchange reserves, became the Central Bank. Uganda Commercial Bank, which had fifty... - Masaka Currency Center - A currency storage and processing facility owned and operated by the Bank of UgandaBank of UgandaThe Bank of Uganda is the Central Bank of the Republic of Uganda. Established in 1966, by Act of Parliament, BOU is 100% owned by the Government of Uganda, but is not a government department.-Organization and Governance:...
, Uganda's Central BankCentral bankA central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
. - A branch of the National Social Security FundNational Social Security Fund (Uganda)The National Social Security Fund is a semi-government agency responsible for the collection, safekeeping, responsible investment and distribution of retirement funds from employees of the private sector in Uganda, who are not covered by the Government Retirement Scheme...
- The Ambiance, a big club in Masaka.