Mbarara, The Western Region, Uganda

🇺🇬 Mbarara City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial centre of Mbarara District and the site of the district headquarters.

Mbarara City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda and the third largest city in Uganda after Kampala and Jinja The city is divided into 6 boroughs of Kakoba Division, Kamukuzi Division, Nyamitanga Division, Biharwe Division, Kakiika Division, Nyakayojo Division. It is the main commercial centre of most of south western districts of Uganda and the site of the district headquarters. In May 2019, the Uganda's cabinet granted Mbarara a city status, which started on 1 July 2020.

Geography: Location Mbarara is an important transport hub, lying west of Masaka on the road to Kabale, near Lake Mburo National Park. This is about 270 km (168 mi), by road, south-west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and oldest city. The city lies at an average elevation at about 1,147 metres (3,763 ft) above sea level.

City Wards The city has a total of 23 wards spread across 6 divisions and 2 constituencies: • Biharwe East; • Biharwe West; • Bubaare; • Bugashe; • Bunutsya; • Kakiika; • Kakoba; • Kakoma; • Kamukuzi; • Katete; • Katojo; • Kichwamba; • Kishasha; • Nyabuhama; • Nyakinengo; • Nyamityobora; • Nyarubanga; • Nyarubungo II; • Ruharo; • Rukindo; • Ruti; • Rwakishakizi; • Rwemigyina; • Rwenjeru.

Growth and expansion Mbarara came from behind and developed to surpass Entebbe, Masaka, Gulu, and Jinja. As of 2014, Mbarara was the second-largest city in Uganda after Kampala and also second to Kampala in importance, industry, and infrastructure.

Starting with 2000, modern buildings have been established including malls, arcades, plaza, and hotels. Modern hospitals have also been constructed including Mbarara Hospital, which is now a Regional Referral Hospital, Mbarara Community Hospital, a private hospital located in Kyamugorani, Kakiika Division, and Mayanja Memorial Hospital, located in Nyamityobora Kakoba Division.

Infrastructure Mbarara is the home of Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), founded in 1989.

With significance for all Ugandan cities, Mbarara was the host to the 2004 Annual General Meeting of the Uganda Local Governments Association on 1 October, which saw the changing of the organisation to its current structure in order to represent all Ugandan local governments. Mbarara remains an active member of this governmental association.

Water supply Due to a rapidly expanding population, the current water supply from nearby River Rwizi is insufficient to meet the future needs of Mbarara City. The Ugandan government has borrowed €120 million to source water from the Kagera River purify it and pump it to Mbarara, Masaka and Isingiro District.

Mbarara Bypass Road As part of the modernisation of the Mbarara-Katuna Road (2011 - 2015), a new northern bypass road is planned for the town. The bypass will start from the Coca-Cola Plant on Mbarara-Masaka Road at Makenke, pass through Rwebishuri and Nkokonjeru and join the Mbarara-Kabale Road at Katatumba Resort, about 5 km (3.1 mi) south-west of the central business district. The bypass is expected to decongest the city centre by taking the long-distance trucks destined for and coming from Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo off of Mbarara's city streets. The 14 km (8.7 mi) road is expected to cost about €170 million (US$210 million), of which the European Union is expected to lend about €122 million (US$153 million) with the government funding the balance from its own resources.

Points of interest The following additional points of interest lie within the city limits or close to its edges:

Administration • Offices of Mbarara City Council

Economy: Industry • Nile Breweries Mbarara - A subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev • Century Bottling Company Limited, Mbarara - Manufacturer and distributor of Coca-Cola products • Mbarara Steel Plant - Owned and operated by the China Machine Building International Corporation (CMIC), a Chinese Government parastal company • Roofings Uganda limited. • Lato Milk - a dairy product manufacturing company founded by Pearl Dairy Farms Limited • Ntake bakery and company Limited, Mbarara

Social services • Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital: A 600-bed, public hospital, administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health. The teaching hospital of Mbarara University School of Medicine • Mbarara Community Hospital: A private hospital that serves the community without regard to ability to pay. • Mayanja Memorial Hospital: A private 100-bed hospital • Holy Innocents Children's Hospital: A private 100-bed general pediatric hospital, administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mbarara • Ruharo Mission Hospital: An Anglican-based 100 bed hospital located at Ruharo Cathedral, about 4 km (2.5 mi), west od downtown, along the Mbarara–Ishaka Road.

Education • Mbarara University of Science and Technology - one of the nine public universities in Uganda • Makerere University Business School Mbarara Regional Campus • Uganda Bible Institute • The Mbarara Campus of Uganda Martyrs University • The Western Campus of Uganda Management Institute • Bishop Stuart University - a private Christian University, affiliated with the Church of Uganda located in Kakoba division (Makerere University, Kikara campus) • Ntare School - a boys-only boarding middle and high school • Mbarara High School - an Anglican-Church of Uganda-based residential boys-only middle and high school located at Ruharo Cathedral and is a government-aided school • Maryhill High School- a girls-only boarding middle and high school founded by the Daughters of Mary and government aided • Adullan Demonstration Primary School - Government sponsored located at Rubaya Sub-county. • St. Agnes Centre For Education - located in the Nyamitanga Division of Mbarara. • Mbarara Municipal School - government sponsored school.

Transport • Mbarara Airport - A public airport, located about 10 km (6.2 mi), by road north-west of town, along Mbarara-Ibanda highway. • Mbarara Northern Bypass Road - A 14 km (9 mi) bypass road, circling the northern half of the city. Constructed between March 2015 and June 2018.