Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Mpondwe

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Country
  
Uganda

Sub-region
  
Rwenzururu sub-region

Time zone
  
EAT (UTC+3)

Local time
  
Monday 11:29 PM

Region
  
Western Uganda

District
  
Kasese District

Elevation
  
1,190 m

Mpondwe

Weather
  
20°C, Wind E at 3 km/h, 75% Humidity

Mpondwe is a town in Western Uganda.

Contents

Map of Bwera, Uganda

Location

Mpondwe is located in the Rwenzori Mountains, in Kasese District, Western Uganda. The town lies at the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bwera is another settlement to the immediate east of Mpondwe border crossing. The Mpondwe Town Council incorporates Bwera and in this article Mpondwe refers to the combined Mpondwe-Bwera metropolitan area.

Mpondwe is located approximately 37 kilometres (23 mi), by road, southwest of Kasese, the district headquarters. This location lies approximately 390 kilometres (240 mi), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The coordinates of the town are:0° 02' 24.00"N, 29° 43' 30.00"E (Latitude:0.0400; Longitude:29.7250).

Overview

Mpondwe is a busy border town in Western Uganda at its border with the DRC. In 2005, the town was the busiest border crossing between Uganda and DRC, based on volume of exports and imports. See table below:

The road from Mpondwe all the way to Kampala is all-weather tarmac. On the Congolese side of the border, the road from the border town of Kasindi to Beni is murram. From Beni, the highway continues south to Bukavu and west to Kisangani.

Population

In 2002, the national population census estimate he population of Mpondwe at 12,050. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population of the town at 16,100. In 2011, UBOS estimated the town's mid-year population at 16,700. The national census in August 2014 put Mpondwe's population at 51,018.

Points of interest

The following points of interest lie within the town limits or close to the edges of town:

  • The offices of Uganda Revenue Authority
  • Bwera General Hospital - A 120-bed public Hospital, administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health
  • Mpondwe Central Market
  • The offices of Mpondwe-Bwera Town Council
  • The International Border Crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • A branch of Equity Bank Uganda Limited - Located in Downtown Bwera
  • A branch of Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited - Located in Downtown Bwera
  • Prominent people

  • Dr. Crispus Kiyonga - Physician and politician. Current Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Uganda. He was born here and he maintains a home in the area. He also serves as the elected Member of Parliament for this constituency.
  • Photos

  • Photo of A Woman in the Rwenzori Mountains
  • Photo of A Woman in Mpondwe-Bwera Uganda
  • Photo of Mother and Child in Mpondwe-Bwera Uganda
  • Photo of A Man in the Rwenzori Mountains
  • References

    Mpondwe Wikipedia