Banda

Location

Banda is bordered to the north by Kiwaatule, to the east by Kireka, to the southeast by Kinnawattaka, to the south by Mbuya, to the southwest by Nakawa, and to the west and northwest by Ntinda. The hill is situated around 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) east of Kampala's core business centre.

History

Banda's full name is Bandabalogo. The 30th Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda, Kabaka Muteesa I Mukaabya Walugembe Kayiira, who ruled from 1856 until 1884, kept a palace on the hill before the entrance of the Europeans. In 1862, British explorer John Hanning Speke encountered Kabaka Walugembe Muteesa I at this castle. Before finally releasing Speke to continue his search for the Nile River's origins, Muteesa imprisoned him for a few months. Bandabalogo got its name because Muteesa experienced numerous setbacks at Banda, which he believed to be bad luck or witchcraft ("Wizards of Banda"). The kibuga (capital) or palace was shifted between John Speke's 1862 visit and Kabaka Muteesa's 1884 demise. Starting in Banda and going to Nakawa Hill, Lubaga Hill, temporarily stopping at Namirembe Hill, and then Kasubi Hill, where Muteesa 1 passed away in 1884. Kabaka Muteesa 1 renamed Kasubi Hill, was once known as Nabulagala. The current Buganda monarch, Muwenda Mutebi II, is the great, great grandson of Muteesa I. He still maintains a palace at the top of this hill, with the entrance facing west in accordance with custom.

On the southern and southwest slopes of the hill, in the Kyambogo area, the Ugandan government started building educational facilities in 1958. In order to create Kyambogo University, the third public university to be founded in the nation, the schools were combined.

Overview

On the Kampala-Jinja route, Banda Hill is five kilometres away. Sekabaka Muteesa I built his palace on the hill that was originally known as Bandabalogo, making it noteworthy in Buganda history. Walugembe Muteesa, also known as Mukabya (literally, "one who makes others cry '' because of his sadistic lifestyle), was here when British explorer John Hanning Speke first saw him in 1862. Before finally releasing Speke to continue his search for the Nile's source, Muteesa imprisoned him for a few months.

Bandabalogo got its name because Muteesa experienced numerous setbacks at Banda, which he believed to be bad luck or witchcraft (wizards of Banda). In honour of his mother's village in Kyaggwe, Kasubi, he built a second palace at Nabulagala after leaving Banda.

The history of Buganda, which helped to build modern-day Uganda, was greatly influenced by Muteesa, who had 84 wives. The current owner of the palace in Banda is Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the great-grandson of Muteesa. Like many towns in Buganda, the main entrance faces the Bunyoro, who were the Baganda's traditional adversaries. A military outpost is located at the peak of the hill. Nabisunsa Girls' School and Kyambogo University are both located in Banda. There are stone quarries and affluent homes on the hill. There are various stores and a market downhill.

Points of interest

The following points of interest lie on Banda Hill or close to it:

• Kyambogo University-One of the nine public universities in Uganda
• Kyambogo College School—A mixed, non-residential public secondary school
• Nabisunsa Girls Secondary School - An all-girl residential secondary school
• The Banda Palace of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II
• A military detach of the Uganda People's Defense Force, a unit of the Special Forces Group (SFG), offers personal security to the Kabaka of Buganda.
• The headquarters of Kingstone Enterprises Limited, a cement distributorship; one of the companies of Amina Moghe Hersi.
• Reach Out Mbuya Parish HIV/AIDS Initiative - A branch of Reach Out Mbuya that offers care and support to HIV/AIDS people in the urban areas.