Katwe | |
|---|---|
  Katwe Map of Kampala showing the location of Katwe. | |
| Coordinates: 00°17′48″N32°34′32″E / 0.29667°N 32.57556°E | |
| Country |  Uganda |
| Region | Central Uganda |
| District | Kampala Capital City Authority |
| Division | Makindye Division |
| Elevation | 1,190 m (3,900 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Katwe is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital.
Katwe, located in Makindye Division, [1] is bordered by Nakasero to the north, Nsambya to the east, Kibuye and Makindye to the southeast, Ndeeba to the south and Mengo to the west. The road distance between Kampala's central business district and Katwe is approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). [2]
At the time of Uganda's Independence from Britain in 1962, Katwe was a center of African ingenuity, where artisans, craftsmen and technicians repaired imported electronics, automobiles, televisions, refrigerators and all kinds of appliances. [3] The more ingenious of these craftsmen would improvise and "manufacture" imitations of the original articles. The Baganda, an ethnic group in Uganda call such improvised articles Magezi ga Baganda (Wisdom of Baganda). Over the next half a century, that ingenuity has sharpened, the industry has thrived and taken in more apprentices and the range of articles locally manufactured has increased. In 2007, it was estimated that Katwe employed over 3,000 artisans and metal fabricators in over 800 individual small enterprises. The Katwe artisans now collaborate with Makerere University's Faculty of Technology, to take their industry to the next level. [4] Another group that has been traditionally attracted to Katwe are entrepreneurs and independent businesspeople, starting from meager beginnings, who have been viewed as "risky" by Uganda's conservative banking industry. These have included cooked food vendors, wholesalers of local foodstuffs, herbalists and owners of small transportation companies. One such an entrepreneur is Namutebi, a herbalist and owner of a transportation company. Despite her lack of formal education and young age (33 years in 2007), her estimated net worth was in the seven-figure range (in US$). [5] Other businesspeople who have come to Katwe include vendors of second-hand electronics, and sellers of scrap goods and previously-owned merchandise. [6]
Katwe has also attracted young men and women, with little education and practical skills who have resorted to all manner of crime, ranging from prostitution and petty thievery to armed robbery and murder. Katwe remains one of the highest crime-ridden areas in Kampala. [7] [8] Politicians and community leaders have blamed the high crime rate on high unemployment and rampant use of recreational drugs, but lasting solutions to the problem remain elusive. [9]
The residential areas of Katwe have been a slum, right when human habitation started to appear along the railway tracks leading from Kampala to Kasese in the first half of the 20th century. However, starting around 2007, respectable office space started to appear on Katwe's main streets. Quality Chemical Industries Limited, a Ugandan pharmaceutical manufacturer has its head office at Quality Chemicals House, in Katwe. Equity Bank maintains its headquarters in the area, having acquired Uganda Microfinance Limited, which established its headquarters there in August 2007. [10] Subsequently, other reputable businesses, including Orient Bank, Tropical Bank, Stanbic Bank, Bank of Africa and Airtel Telecom, are moving into the area, turning the former slum into a respectable business zone, one building at a time. [11]
The following points of interest lie within or near Katwe:
The 2016 movie Queen of Katwe , starring David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong'o, is set in the area.
Kampala is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa, and Rubaga.
Sir Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Mutesa II was Kabaka, or king, of the Kingdom of Buganda in Uganda from 22 November 1939 until his death. He was the 35th Kabaka of Buganda and the first president of Uganda from 1962 to 1966, when he was overthrown by Milton Obote. The foreign press often referred to him as King Freddie, a name rarely used in Uganda. An ardent defender of Buganda's interests, especially its traditional autonomy, he often threatened to make the kingdom independent both before and after Uganda's independence to preserve it. These firm convictions also later led to conflicts with his erstwhile political ally Milton Obote, who would eventually overthrow him.
Kabaka Ronald Edward Frederick Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II is King of the Kingdom of Buganda. He is the 36th Kabaka of Buganda.
Kololo is a hill in Kampala, the largest city and capital of Uganda. The name also applies to the upscale residential and commercial neighbourhood that sits on that hill.
Ezra Suruma is a Ugandan economist, banker, and academician.
St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, commonly known as Nsambya Hospital, is a hospital in Kampala, the capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country.
Makindye Division is one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and the largest city in that country. The city's five divisions are: (a) Kampala Central Division (b) Kawempe Division (c) Lubaga Division (d) Makindye Division and (e) Nakawa Division.
Kawempe is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is also the location of the headquarters of Kawempe Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala.
Ndeeba is a neighborhood in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital.
Muteesa I Royal University (MRU) is a private university in Uganda. It was accredited by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education in 2007 and chartered in March 2024. In 2016, Justice Julia Sebutinde was installed as Chancellor of the University, replacing Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the founding chancellor who became Visitor of the university.
Kampala Hill, commonly referred to as Old Kampala, is a hill in the centre of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
Lungujja is a neighborhood within Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
Kibuye is an area within the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital.
Mapeera House is a building in Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Kampala, Buganda, Uganda.
Kampala Central Division is one of the five divisions that make up Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The city's five divisions are: (a) Kampala Central Division (b) Kawempe Division (c) Lubaga Division (d) Makindye Division and (e) Nakawa Division.
Miss Uganda or Miss Uganda World is a national beauty pageant in Uganda.
Uganda Christian University School of Medicine, also UCU School of Medicine or UCU Medical School, is a medical school in Uganda. The school is based at Mengo Hospital and includes a faculty of dentistry.
Allan Aloysius Ssewanyana, commonly known as ‘Omusajja wa Bwino’ is a Ugandan sports journalist, human resource manager and politician. He is the elected Member of Parliament for Makindye Division West and a representative for the National Unity Platform, the largest opposition political party in Uganda. He is a member of the Committee on Education & Sports and the Committee on Equal Opportunities in the 10th Parliament of Uganda. He is also the Minister for Sports in the Shadow Cabinet.
