Uganda

Kampala is the capital of Uganda, serving as the country’s political and economic hub—unlike Kigali (Rwanda), Nairobi (Kenya), or Dodoma (Tanzania). Built across several hills just north of Lake Victoria, Kampala grew from the historic center of the Buganda kingdom. Its name comes from “akasozi k’empala” (“hill of the impala”), recalling the antelope that once roamed its hills. While colonial administrators were based in Entebbe, independent Uganda (1962) established Kampala as its national capital. Memory tip: think “UGanda’s Kamp-ala”—a ‘camp’ of hills by Africa’s largest lake.