Mbarara

   

Mbarara town is one of the largest towns in Uganda located about 290 km south west of Kampala. It is the largest city in the western region and the capital of Ankole Sub region. It is also the major transit town for tourists to the western national parks of Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth while its close proximity to L. Mburo National park assures visitors of shopping opportunities.
The town is also home to the remains of the Ankole kingdom palace and the Nkokonjeru royal tombs for the Ankole kings are about 2 km from the town center. There is also Igongo cultural center that shelters most of the cultural objects and literature for the Ankole kingdom as well as the newly launched 1520AD eclipse monument on the Biharwe hill.
In 1991, the national census estimated the population of the district at about 267,500. The 2002 national census estimated the district population at about 361,500, with an estimated growth rate of about2.2%. Of these, 51% were female and 49% were male. 55% of the district population is aged between 0 and 18 years. In 2012, the district population was estimated at approximately 445,600.