Mpondwe

Mpondwe is a town in the Western Region of Uganda.^[2]

Mpondwe
Mpondwe Map of Uganda showing the location of Mpondwe.
Coordinates: 00°02′24″N 29°43′30″E
Country	Uganda
Region	Western Region
Sub-region	Rwenzururu sub-region
District	Kasese District
Elevation	1,220 m (4,000 ft)
Population  (2020 Estimate)
• Total	58,600[1]
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

History

In June 2023, the Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe was attacked by militants linked to Islamic State group from the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo. Around 40 people, mostly school boys were killed while several girls were abducted.^[3]

Location

The town is at the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Bwera is another settlement to the immediate east of the Mpondwe border crossing. The Mpondwe Town Council incorporates Bwera, and in this article "Mpondwe" refers to the combined "Mpondwe-Bwera" metropolitan area.^[4]

Mpondwe is approximately 55.5 kilometres (34 mi), by road, south-west of Kasese, where the district headquarters are located.^[5] This is about 131 kilometres (81 mi) southwest of Fort Portal, the nearest large city.^[6] Bwera is located approximately 424 kilometres (263 mi), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.^[7] The geographical coordinates of the town are 0° 02' 24.00"N, 29° 43' 30.00"E (Latitude:0.0400; Longitude:29.7250).^[8] The town sits at an average elevation of 1,220 metres (4,000 ft) above mean sea level.^[9]

Overview

Mpondwe is one of the three busiest border crossings between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The other two are Goli, in Nebbi District and Bunagana, in Kisoro District. The town is the busiest border crossing between the two countries, based on volume of exports and imports.^[2][10]

Population

In 2002, the national population census estimated the population of Mpondwe at 12,050. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 16,100. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 16,700.^[11] The national census in August 2014 put the population at 51,131.^[12]

In 2015, UBOS estimated the population of Mpondwe Municipality at 52,000. In 2020, the population agency estimated the mid-year population of the town at 58,600 people. Of these, 30,400 (51.9 percent) were females and 28,200 (48.1 percent) were males. UBOS calculated the annual population growth rate of Mpondwe to average 2.34 percent per year, between 2015 and 2020.^[1]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
2002	12,050	—
2010	16,100	+33.6%
2011	16,700	+3.7%
2014	51,131	+206.2%
2015	52,000	+1.7%
2020	58,600	+12.7%
source:[1][11][12]

One Stop Border Post

In March 2018, The Independent (Uganda) reported that the government of Uganda, had secured a loan of US$14 million (USh50.4 billion), to facilitate cross-border trade between Uganda and DR Congo. The Ugandan government, through the Uganda Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives and the Uganda Ministry of Works and Transport, in collaboration with other stakeholders plans to use the borrowed funds to construct a one-stop-border-post (OSBP) and a Border Export Zone (BEZ) at Mpondwe.^[2] Construction of the OSBP and BEZ was officially commissioned on Thursday 17 April 2019, by president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.^[13] As of June 2022, completion of the OSBP and BEZ was estimated at 92 percent.^[14]

Points of interest

The following points of interest lie within the town limits or close to the edges of town:^[8]

1. Offices of the Uganda Revenue Authority^[13]

2. Bwera General Hospital – A 120-bed public Hospital, administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health

3. Mpondwe Central Market

4. Offices of Mpondwe-Bwera Town Council

5. International border crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo^[13]

6. Mpondwe Border Export Zone (In development).^[15]

7. The Mbarara–Kisangani Road crosses between Uganda and DRC at this location.^[16]

Prominent people

• Crispus Kiyonga – Physician and politician. Current Ambassador to China and former Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Uganda. He was born here and maintains a home in the area. He also served as the elected member of Parliament for this constituency.^[17]

See also

• Rwenzururu
• Queen Elizabeth National Park
• List of cities and towns in Uganda

References

1. Uganda Bureau of Statistics (14 June 2021). "The population development of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha as well as related information and services" (Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics). Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
2. Ssali, Godfrey (6 March 2018). "Uganda: Mpondwe Export Zone to Boost Trade Between Uganda and DR Congo". The Independent (Uganda) via AllAfrica.com. Kampala. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
3. "Uganda school attack: Dozens of pupils killed by militants linked to Islamic State group". BBC News. 17 June 2023.
4. "Parliamentary Committee On EAC Affairs Visits Mpondwe One Stop Border Post".
5. "Road Distance Between Kasese, Uganda And Mpondwe, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
6. "Mpondwe" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
7. "Map Showing Kampala, Uganda And Bwera, Uganda With Distance Marker" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
8. "Location of Mpondwe At Google Maps" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
9. Floodmap (25 January 2021). "Elevation of Mpondwe, Uganda". Floodmap.net. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
10. Muwanga, David (10 August 2006). "Busia leads in border trade". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
11. Uganda Bureau of Statistics (2012). "Estimated Population of Mpondwe In 2002, 2010 And 2011" (PDF). Kampala: Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (Archived from the original on 19 January 2013) on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
12. Uganda Bureau of Statistics (14 June 2020). "The population of all Ugandan cities and towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants according to census results and latest official projections" (Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics). Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
13. Felix Basiime (17 April 2019). "Museveni to open one-stop-border post in Kasese". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
14. David Lumu (8 June 2022). "Mpondwe one-stop border post completion at 92% – works officials". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
15. The Independent (6 March 2018). "Mpondwe export zone to boost trade between Uganda and DR Congo". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
16. Samuel Baya (19 February 2019). "Missing links in proposed Mombasa-Lagos highway". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
17. UPDF-SFC (2018). "Profile of Kiyonga Chrispus Walter Barrabusa, Former Member of Parliament for Bukonjo County West, Kasese District & Former Minister of Defence". Entebbe: Uganda Special Forces Command (UPDF-SFC). Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.