Mbale
Encyclopedia
Mbale is a city in Eastern Uganda
. It is the main municiplal, administrative and commercial center of Mbale District
and the surrounding sub-region. The district is named after the town.
, on an all weather tarmac highway. The coordinates of the city are: 01 04 50N, 34 10 30E. The city also lies on the railway from Tororo
to Pakwach
. Mount Elgon
, one of the highest peaks in East Africa
lies nearby.
(IUIU), as well as the Moses Synagogue around which most of the Abayudaya
live. The population includes members of the Gisu ethnic group, mainly the Bamasaaba and Bagisu.
Mbale is known for its limited nightlife, and has a clock tower
in the centre of town. An early scene in Casino Royale
(2006) is set in Mbale district, but was not filmed there. James Bond
(Daniel Craig
) himself is not in the scene.
, Wales
through local and regional twinning ceremonies in 2005. The link was intended to associate professionals and organizations in Pontypridd with their counterparts in Africa, under the auspices of charity PONT - the Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust.
Eastern Region, Uganda
Eastern Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
. It is the main municiplal, administrative and commercial center of Mbale District
Mbale District
Mbale District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It is named after the largest city in the district, Mbale, which also servess as the main administrative and commercial center in the sub-region.-Location:...
and the surrounding sub-region. The district is named after the town.
Location
Mbale lies approximately 245 kilometres (152.2 mi), by road, northeast 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 an all weather tarmac highway. The coordinates of the city are: 01 04 50N, 34 10 30E. The city also lies on the railway from Tororo
Tororo
Tororo is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Tororo District. The district was named after the town.-Location:...
to Pakwach
Pakwach
- Location :Pakwach is located in Nebbi District, in West Nile sub-region, in Northern Uganda. It is situated approximately , by road, southeast of Arua, the largest town in West Nile. This location lies along the western bank of the Albert Nile, approximately , by road, southwest of Gulu, the...
. Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
, one of the highest peaks in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
lies nearby.
Overview
Mbale is home to the Islamic University in UgandaIslamic University in Uganda
The Islamic University in Uganda is a multi-campus university for advanced study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The main campus of the university is located in Mbale, Uganda, about northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.-History:The idea to start IUIU was conceived at...
(IUIU), as well as the Moses Synagogue around which most of the Abayudaya
Abayudaya
The Abayudaya are a Baganda community in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbale who practice Judaism. Although they are not genetically or historically related to other ethnic Jews, they are devout in their practice of the religion, keeping their version of kashrut, and observing Shabbat...
live. The population includes members of the Gisu ethnic group, mainly the Bamasaaba and Bagisu.
Mbale is known for its limited nightlife, and has a clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
in the centre of town. An early scene in Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
(2006) is set in Mbale district, but was not filmed there. James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
(Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
) himself is not in the scene.
Population
The 2002 national census put the population of Mbale at 71,130. In 2008, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), estimated the population of the city at 84,100. In 2011, UBOS estimates the population of Mbale at about 91,800.Twinning
Mbale was formally linked with PontypriddPontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
through local and regional twinning ceremonies in 2005. The link was intended to associate professionals and organizations in Pontypridd with their counterparts in Africa, under the auspices of charity PONT - the Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust.
Landmarks
The landmarks within the city limits or close to its vicinity include:- The headquarters of Mbale District AdministrationMbale DistrictMbale District is a district in Eastern Uganda. It is named after the largest city in the district, Mbale, which also servess as the main administrative and commercial center in the sub-region.-Location:...
- The offices of Mbale City Council
- Mbale Central Market
- The headquarters of the 3rd Division of the Uganda People's Defense Force
- Mbale Regional Referral HospitalMbale HospitalMbale Regional Referral Hospital, commonly known as Mbale Hospital is a hospital in Mbale, eastern Uganda. It is the referral hospital for the districts of Busia, Budaka, Bukwa, Butaleja, Manafwa, Mbale, Pallisa, Sironko and Tororo.-Location:...
- A 400 bed public hospital administered by the Uganda Ministry of HealthUganda Ministry of HealthThe Uganda Health Ministry, commonly known as the Uganda Ministry of Health, is a government department in Uganda. The ministry is headed by three cabinet members; one Minister of Health and two State Ministers of Health.-Location:... - CURE Children's Hospital of UgandaCURE Children's Hospital of UgandaCURE Children's Hospital of Uganda is a specialized children's neurosurgery hospital in Uganda. It is a private hospital, owned and operated by CURE International. The hospital is also a teaching center in pediatric neurosurgery for Sub-Saharan Africa....
- A 42 bed private neurosurgery hospital, owned and administered by CURE InternationalCURE InternationalCURE International is a nonprofit organization based in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania. CURE's efforts are focused on providing medical care to children suffering primarily from orthopedic conditions. With the mission of healing the sick and proclaiming the kingdom of God, CURE serves a dual purpose in the... - Mbale Municipal Stadium - Capacity: 25,000.
- A branch of Bank of AfricaBank of Africa (Uganda)Bank of Africa , whose complete name is Bank of Africa Limited, is a commercial bank in Uganda. The bank is a member of the Bank of Africa Group, a multinational, Pan African bank headquartered in Bamako, Mali, with presence in eleven African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi,...
- A branch of Bank of BarodaBank of Baroda (Uganda)Bank of Baroda is a commercial bank in Uganda. The bank is involved in all aspects of commercial banking, focusing on servicing large, medium and small business enterprises as well as individuals...
- 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 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 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 Equity BankEquity Bank (Uganda)-Overview:The bank provides banking services to individuals and to small and medium business enterprises. As of December 2009, the bank was the 14th largest commercial bank in Uganda with an estimated asset valuation of approximately US$81.4 million or approximately 2% of all bank assets in the...
- A branch of Housing Finance BankHousing Finance BankHousing Finance Bank 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 Kenya Commercial Bank
- A branch of Orient BankOrient BankOrient Bank is a commercial bank in Uganda. It is one of the twenty-two commercial banks licensed by Bank of Uganda, the national banking regulator.-Overview:...
- 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 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 Standard Chartered BankStandard Chartered Bank (Uganda)Standard Chartered Bank Limited, commonly known as Stanchart Uganda, is a commercial bank in Uganda. It is one of the banks licensed by the Bank of Uganda, the national banking regulator.-Overview:...
- A branch of United Bank for AfricaUnited Bank for AfricaUnited Bank for Africa Plc is a public limited company incorporated in Nigeria in 1961 and headquartered in Lagos. It is one of Africa’s leading financial institutions offering universal banking to more than 7 million customers across 750 branches in 19 African countries and a presence in New...
- 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 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 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 main campus of the Islamic University in UgandaIslamic University in UgandaThe Islamic University in Uganda is a multi-campus university for advanced study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The main campus of the university is located in Mbale, Uganda, about northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.-History:The idea to start IUIU was conceived at...
- The Mbale Pentecostal Theological College (Pictured, right)
- The Mbale Campus of Busitema UniversityBusitema UniversityBusitema University , is a university in Uganda. It is one of the five public universities in Uganda, which include Makerere University, Mbarara University, Kyambogo University and Gulu University...
- One of the five (5) publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
universities in Uganda. - Mbale Campus of Uganda Martyrs UniversityUganda Martyrs University-Location:The main campus of UMU is in Nkozi, a small town, approximately , by road, west of Kampala, the capital and largest city in Uganda, on the Kampala-Masaka Highway...
, a private university, whose headquarters are located in NkoziNkozi-Location:The town is situated along the Kampala-Masaka Highway, approximately , southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. This location is approximately , north of Lake Victoria, at the point where River Katonga, exits the lake to begin its journey west to Lake George...
, Mpigi DistrictMpigi DistrictMpigi District is a district in Central Uganda. Like other most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Mpigi.-Location:...
. - Mbale 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...
. - Nabumali High SchoolNabumali High SchoolNabumali High School , is a mixed, boarding, secondary school , in Eastern Uganda.-Location:The school is located in the village of Nabumali, in Mbale District, off the Tororo-Mbale Road, approximately , south of the city of Mbale...
- The mixed, boarding secondary school, is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi), south of Mbale of the Mbale-TororoTororoTororo is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Tororo District. The district was named after the town.-Location:...
Road