Entebbe

Entebbe is a city in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, approximately 36 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of the Ugandan capital city, Kampala. Entebbe was once the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda prior to independence, in 1962.

The city is the location of Entebbe International Airport, Uganda’s largest commercial and military airport, best known for the dramatic rescue of 100 hostages kidnapped by the militant group of the PFLP-EO and Revolutionary Cells (RZ) organizations. Entebbe is also the location of State House, the official office and residence of the President of Uganda.

Etymology

The word came from Luganda language e ntebe which means ‘seat’ / ‘chair’. Entebbe was a cultural site for Mamba clan and it was called “entebbe za Mugula” and is now the location of the official office and residence of the President of Uganda, as it was for British governors before independence. Entebbe was the former seat of power in the country, but has now been replaced by Kampala.

Location

Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake. The town is situated in Wakiso District, approximately 34 kilometres (21 mi) south of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. 

The metropolis is located on a peninsula into Lake Victoria, covering a total area of 56.2 square kilometres (21.7 sq mi), out of which 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) is water. The coordinates of Entebbe are:0°03’00.0″N, 32°27’36.0″E (Latitude:0.0500; Longitude:32.4600). Neighborhoods within Entebbe City include Bugonga, Katabi, Nakiwogo, Nsamizi, Kitooro, Lunnyo and Lugonjo.

Population

During the 2002 national census, Entebbe’s population was estimated at about 55,100 people. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population of the town at 76,500. In 2011, UBOS estimated the population of Entebbe at approximately 79,700. On 27 August 2014, the national population census put Entebbe’s population at 69,958.

Etymology

The word came from Luganda language e ntebe which means ‘seat’ / ‘chair’. Entebbe was a cultural site for Mamba clan and it was called “entebbe za Mugula” and is now the location of the official office and residence of the President of Uganda, as it was for British governors before independence. Entebbe was the former seat of power in the country, but has now been replaced by Kampala.

Location

Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa‘s largest lake. The town is situated in Wakiso District, approximately 34 kilometres (21 mi) south of Kampala, Uganda‘s capital and largest city. 

The metropolis is located on a peninsula into Lake Victoria, covering a total area of 56.2 square kilometres (21.7 sq mi), out of which 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) is water. The coordinates of Entebbe are:0°03’00.0″N, 32°27’36.0″E (Latitude:0.0500; Longitude:32.4600). Neighborhoods within Entebbe City include Bugonga, Katabi, Nakiwogo, Nsamizi, Kitooro, Lunnyo and Lugonjo.

Population

During the 2002 national census, Entebbe’s population was estimated at about 55,100 people. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population of the town at 76,500. In 2011, UBOS estimated the population of Entebbe at approximately 79,700. On 27 August 2014, the national population census put Entebbe’s population at 69,958.

History

“Entebbe”, in the local Luganda language, means a “seat” and was probably named that because it was the place where a Baganda chief sat to adjudicate legal cases.

It first became a British colonial administrative and commercial centre in 1893 when Sir Gerald Portal, a colonial Commissioner, used it as a base. Port Bell went on to become Kampala’s harbor. Although no ships dock there now, there is still a jetty, which was used by Lake Victoria ferries.

Entebbe International Airport, the main international airport of Uganda, has been the site of some well known events, making it famous in Europe and abroad.

It was from this airport that Queen Elizabeth II departed Africa to return to England in 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and that she had become Queen. The airport was the scene of a hostage situation and a rescue operation ending on 4 July 1976, when soldiers from the Sayeret Matkal, Paratroopers Brigade and Golani Brigade units of the Israeli Army freed over 100 hostages following a hijacking by a group of Palestinian and German militia.

The city of Entebbe also hosted final resolution talks to end the M23 rebellion.

Biomedical research hub

Entebbe is home to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), a Ugandan government organization which provides space to conduct research to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative HIV vaccine program, the UK Medical Research Centre Laboratories (MRC), the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).^[13] Most research performed at UVRI is infectious disease-oriented and focuses on HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and helminth infections. It is also home for the headquarters of Uganda National Medical Stores, until the new headquarters and main warehouse building in Kajjansi is completed, then the headquarters will relocate to Kajjansi.