Mengo

Location of Mengo

Old Kampala to the north, Kibuye to the east, Ndeeba to the south, Lubaga Hill to the west, and Namirembe Hill to the north-west are Mengo's neighbours. The distance from this location to Kampala's business district is roughly 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) by road. The hill's highest point is located at 1,210 metres (3,970 feet) above sea level.

Overview

Mengo is a hill that has a long history in both politics and religion. The Luganda word "Mengo" for grinding stones is used. According to legend, the Ssesse Islands migrant communities who first settled on the hill used these stones to grind their food. The magnificent Twekobe, the Kabaka's official residence, is housed in the palace's four square mile (lubiri) area. As a result, Mengo Hill is now incorrectly referred to as "Lubiri Hill'' by the majority of Ugandans.

The infamous 1900 Agreement, which established the Uganda Protectorate, was signed here between the Kabaka of Buganda and British colonial officials. The largest artificial lake in the nation, Kabaka's Lake, is located close to the palace. On Kabaka Basamula's instructions, the lake was excavated in the 1880s.

Mwanga wanted to connect it to Munyonyo, which is located near Lake Victoria. On his numerous hunting expeditions, Mwanga, a devoted fan of regattas, wanted to sail from Mengo to Munyonyo. The three tiny islands in the lake are home to a wide variety of bird species. Because of the monarchy's close ties to the Church of England, the history of Mengo Hill is also intertwined with that of Namirembe Hill, the location of the Anglican Church in Uganda.

Indeed, the Bulange (office building for the Kabaka and the kingdom's parliament, Lutiiko) is located at Namirembe, directly across from Mengo hill and almost at the same elevation. Bulange is a large structure with green tiles. Kisingili's three-story, one-room home, built more than a century ago, is close to Bulange. The more than 100-year-old, enormous turtles, which came from the Seychelles islands, where Kabaka Mwanga was once imprisoned by the British, are displayed in the courtyard.

A short distance from Kabaka's Palace, which houses Buganda Radio CBS, is Mengo Hospital.

Points of interest in Mengo

Landmarks on Mengo Hill or near the hill include:

• The main palace of the King of Buganda, the Lubiri.
• Bulange, the Buganda Parliament's main building (the Lukiiko). In 1958, it was relocated outside the palace to the nearby Namirembe Hill to make room for a larger building. Additionally, the structure houses the Kabaka of Buganda's offices.
• Kabaka's Lake is a man-made lake that is just outside the main palace entrance and is approximately 5 acres (2.0 ha) in size. It is for the Kabaka's personal use and enjoyment.
• Mengo Hospital - A 300-bed private hospital, affiliated with the Church of Uganda; located at adjacent Namirembe Hill
• The Joint Clinical Research Center is housed in the Butikkiro, the former official residence of the Prime Minister of Buganda, and is close to the palace (Katikkiro). One of the assets owned by Buganda that has not yet been given back to the Kingdom is this structure.
• The main campus of St. Lawrence University (Uganda) - Located close to Kabaka's Lake.
• The Buildings of the Uganda Supreme Court
• Northwestern neighbour and immediate neighbour of Mengo Hill is Namirembe Hill. St. Paul's Cathedral, Buganda's most prominent Anglican church, is located there.
• Lubaga Hill - Immediately west of Mengo. The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala. Location of St. Mary's Cathedral Rubaga, built between 1912 and 1925.