Mbale

This article is about the Ugandan city. For other locations with the same name, see Mbale (disambiguation).

Mbale is a city in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Mbale District and the surrounding sub-region.^[3]

Mbale city center.

Mbale
Mbale Location in Uganda
Coordinates: 01°04′50″N 34°10′30″E
Country	Uganda
Regions	Eastern Uganda
Subregion	Bugisu sub-region
Government
• Mayor	Mutwalibi Mafabi Zandya[1]
Elevation	1,156 m (3,793 ft)
Population  (2014 Census)
• Total	96,189[2]

Location

Mbale is approximately 225 kilometres (140 mi) northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capital city, on an all-weather tarmac highway.^[4] The city lies at an average elevation of 1,156 metres (3,793 ft) above sea level.^[5]

The coordinates of the city are 1°04'50.0"N, 34°10'30.0"E (Latitude:1.080556; Longitude:34.175000).^[6] The city is on the railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Mount Elgon, one of the highest peaks in East Africa, is approximately 48 kilometres (30 mi), north-east of Mbale, by road.^[7]

Population

According to the 2002 census, the population of Mbale was about 71,130. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 81,900. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 91,800.^[8] The 2014 population census put the population at 96,189.^[2]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
2002	71,130	—
2010	81,900	+15.1%
2011	91,800	+12.1%
2014	96,189	+4.8%
source:[2][8]

Twinning

Mbale was formally linked with the town of Pontypridd, Wales through local and regional twinning ceremonies in 2005. The link was intended to associate professionals and organizations in Pontypridd with their counterparts in Africa, under the auspices of the charity known as the Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust.^[9]

Points of interest

The following points of interest lie within the city limits or close to its borders:

Administrative

• The headquarters of Mbale District Administration
• The offices of Mbale City Council

Public facilities

• Mbale central market
• Mbale Municipal Stadium

Military

• The headquarters of the 3rd Division of the Uganda People's Defense Force

Health facilities

• Mbale Regional Referral Hospital - a 400-bed public hospital administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health
• CURE Children's Hospital of Uganda - a 42-bed private neurosurgery hospital, owned and administered by CURE International

Mbale Pentecostal Theological College

Educational institutions

• Uganda Christian University College - Headquartered at Mukono UCU, formerly Bishop Tucker Theological College
• Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences - the medical school of Busitema University, a public institution of higher education
• The main campus of the Islamic University in Uganda
• The Mbale Campus of Uganda Martyrs University - a private university, whose headquarters are located in Nkozi, Mpigi District
• LivingStone International University - a private university affiliated with the fellowship of Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
• Mbale School of Clinical Officers

City status

In 2019 the Cabinet of Uganda, resolved to award Mbale, city status effective July 2021.^[10] In November of the same year, Cabinet revised the date of city status to 1 July 2020.^[11]

Notable people

• John Wasikye: Anglican Bishop, was Murdered After Liberation of Kampala, April 11, 1979
• James Wapakhabulo: Politician
• Lydia Wanyoto: Lawyer, politician and diplomat.
• Nathan Nandala Mafabi: Ugandan accountant, lawyer, and politician. He represents Budadiri County West in Sironko District in the Parliament of Uganda. From May 2011 until January 2014, he was the leader of the opposition.
• Walter de Sousa Field Hockey player for Indian hockey team. He was born in Mbale, Uganda and spent his early childhood here where his father was working under the colonial administration.
• Dani Wadada Nabudere (15 December 1932 – 9 November 2011) was a Ugandan academic, Pan-Africanist, lawyer, politician, author, political scientist, and development specialist.

See also

• Gisu people
• Gisu language
• Mbale Kenya
• Railway stations in Uganda
• Bugisu Co-operative Union Limited
• List of cities and towns in Uganda

References

1. Mafabi, David (27 October 2013). "NRM Cadres Sabotaging Mbale Progress - Mayor". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
2. UBOS (27 August 2014). "The Population of The Regions of the Republic of Uganda And All Cities And Towns of More Than 15,000 Inhabitants". Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). Retrieved 23 February 2015.
3. Draku, Franklin (22 May 2019). "Cabinet Elevates 15 Municipalities To Cities". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
4. "Distance between Kampala, Uganda and Mbale, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
5. Floodmap (2019). "Elevation of Mbale, Uganda". Floodmap.net. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
6. "Location of Mbale, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
7. "Distance between Mbale, Uganda and Bugitimwa, Uganda With Map" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
8. Uganda Bureau of Statistics (June 2011). "Projected Population of Mbale In 2002, 2010 & 2011" (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Kampala, Uganda. Archived from the original (Archived from the original on 7 July 2014) on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
9. "Background of Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust". Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust (PONT). Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
10. Franklin Draku (22 May 2019). "Cabinet Elevates 15 Municipalities To Cities". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
11. Kungu Al-Mahadi Adam (5 November 2019). "Cabinet Includes Masaka, Mbale Among New Cities To Be Operational In 2020". Kampala: SoftPower Uganda. Retrieved 6 November 2019.

External links

• About Mbale
• Climbing Mount Elgon

01°04′50″N 34°10′30″E

Noun 1. a humble man of honor, respected towards others. 2. a plate 3. Helper, Giver or Flower