The Central region is one of four regions in the country of Uganda. As of Uganda’s 2014 census, the region’s population was 9,529,227. It is coterminous with the Kingdom of Buganda, one of the ancient African monarchies that are constitutionally recognized in Uganda.
Set on the shores of Lake Victoria, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre is a must visit for anyone coming to Entebbe for a leisure or educational tour. The centre which sits on 72 acres, boasts of a wide variety of indigenous wildlife numbering well into the thousands, and housed in natural settings which depict three of Uganda’s ecosystems: The Wetland, The Savannah and The Forest.
The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) was opened in 1952 by the Colonial Government then, as an animal orphanage that offered sanctuary to young animals found abandoned in protected areas due to the death or poaching of parent animals.
Kasubi hill was originally called Nabulagala. When Mutesa I established his palace on the hill in 1882, he changed its name to Kasubi. Visit the tombs that are of significance to the Buganda kingdom, the huge thatched-roof palace of the Unesco World Heritage listed Kasubi Tombs was tragically destroyed in an arson attack in March 2010.
Fortunately construction is in its final stages. Built in 1882 as the palace of the King Mutesa I, it was converted into his tomb following his death two years later.
Subsequently, the next three kabaka (kings) Mwanga DaudiChwa II and Edward Mutesa II, father of the current kabaka, Ronald Mutebi II (known also by his Buganda name, Muwenda) broke with tradition and chose to be buried here instead of in their own palaces. You will learn more about Buganda culture and history at the site.
The 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.
The Ssese Islands are perhaps Uganda’s best kept secret. These beautiful islands are a piece of paradise surrounded by water in a landlocked country.
The Ssese Islands are found on Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world which is shared by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. They are a beach paradise even though there is no sea, or ocean shore.
There is a tropical forest filled with primates such as monkeys and other species of wildlife such as the Sitatunga Antelopes, and exotic bird species. The Ssese islands are truly a bird watchers paradise.
While on the islands you can visit the villages, interact with the locals and learn something about their cultures and way of life.
About 15 km east of Kampala city lies the Namugongo martyrs’ shrine where more than 20 catholic and Anglican martyrs were burnt alive. This basilica is dedicated to 22 young Christian congregants who were brutally murdered between 1885-1887 by Kabaka Mwanga for their allegiance to Christianity.
They were beatified in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV and later canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964. The 22 Martyrs are the only African saints to whom a basilica is dedicated and they are the largest group of saints ever canonized by the Catholic Church.
Every 3rd June the Catholic Church and their counterpart of Anglican persuasion flock this place from all over Africa most of them by foot to commemorate this day in honor of their Religious heroes. The unique architecture of African hut, the temple of worship in this place is a great tour destination.
Situated in the country’s most prosperous agricultural section, Kampala exports coffee, cotton, tea, tobacco, and sugar. Although second industrially to Jinja, the city has numerous food, metal-products, and furniture enterprises and a tractor-assembly plant.
It is the headquarters for most of Uganda’s large firms and the chief market for the Lake Victoria region. Kampala has a technical institute and is the seat of Makerere University.
Kampala also has the Uganda Museum. The city is home to several mosques (including the white Kibuli Mosque), Hindu temples, and Christian churches (notably Namirembe Anglican Cathedral and Rubaga and St. Peter’s Roman Catholic cathedrals).
Kampala is the hub of the nation’s road network and lies on the railway from Kasese to Mombasa, Kenya. It is also served by Port Bell (6 miles [10 km] east) on Lake Victoria and by Uganda’s international airport at Entebbe.