the capital of Uganda. Located in central Africa, near the northern shore of Lake Victoria, at an elevation of up to 1, 300 m. The city has an equatorial climate characterized by monsoons. The average January temperature is about 22°C; the average July temperature is 20°C. Total annual precipitation is more than 1, 500 mm (at Entebbe). Area, 22 sq km; population, 80, 000 (1970; including suburbs, 332, 000). The city is administered by the government of Uganda. There is also an elected city council.
A railroad connects Kampala with the port of Mombasa, Kenya, on the Indian Ocean. A branch railroad line connects Kampala with Port Bell on Lake Victoria. Kampala is a highway junction, and there is an airport in Entebbe, 35 km to the south. Kampala is the main economic center of the country, with textile, flour, butter, and brewery enterprises. Other important economic activities include the processing of coffee, cotton, tea, hides, and leather and the production of cigarettes and cement.
Educational institutions in Kampala include Makerere University (since 1970, the National University of Uganda), a medical school, a teachers’ college, the Scientific Society of Uganda, the Regional Institute of East Africa (social research), and scientific research institutions in agriculture, medicine, and chemistry. The university library contains more than 125, 000 volumes. Cultural facilities include the Museum of Uganda (with a uniquecollection of African musical instruments and the Center for Archaeological Research), the National Theater (its building was constructed in 1959), the Limited Theater traveling troupe(organized in 1968), and the Heartbeat of Africa song and danceensemble (created in 1964).