HOIMA CITY, UGANDA TRAVEL GUIDE - TRAVEL INFORMATION AND GUIDE

LOCATION OF HOIMA CITY, UGANDA

Hoima is a city in the Western Region of Uganda. Hoima City serves as the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Hoima District. Additionally, Hoima is the location of the palace of the Omukama (traditional ruler / king) of Bunyoro Kingdom.

Hoima city is situated approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of Kampala, which is Uganda’s largest city. Hoima city lies along the Kampala–Hoima Road, accessible via an all-weather tarmac highway.The precise coordinates of Hoima City are 1°25’55.0"N latitude and 31°21’09.0"E longitude (Latitude: 1.431944; Longitude: 31.352500)3.

Hoima District is bordered by Buliisa District to the North, Masindi District to the North-East, Kyankwanzi District in the East, Kibaale District to the South, Ntoroko District to the South-West and the Democratic Republic of the Congo across Lake Albert to the West.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN HOIMA CITY, UGANDA

Lugungu is spoken in Buliisa and Hoima districts. Runyoro, Rutooro, Runyankore, English, Luganda and Swahili are also spoken languages by the residents and visitors.

POPULATION OF HOIMA CITY, UGANDA

In 2020, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the mid-year population of Hoima city at 122,700 people.

SOME HISTORY OF HOIMA CITY, UGANDA

Hoima City, located in the Western Region of Uganda, has a rich history and significant developments. Here below is some of Hoima’s history:

Bunyoro Kingdom: From the 13th century to the 19th century, Bunyoro Kingdom was one of the most powerful kingdoms in East and Central Africa. Hoima was part of this influential kingdom during that period.

Post-Independence: After Uganda gained independence, Hoima remained an entity within Bunyoro Kingdom. However, when Ugandan kingdoms were abolished in 1967, Bunyoro became a district. In 1974, Bunyoro was divided into North Bunyoro (becoming Masindi District) and South Bunyoro (becoming Hoima District in 1980).

ATTRACTIONS AND TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN HOIMA CITY, UGANDA

Mparo Tombs, Hoima, Uganda - Historic Site in Hoima

Two kilometres down the Masindi Rd (4km out of Hoima) is the final resting place of the renowned Bunyoro king Omukama (‘King’) Chwa II Kabalega and his son. Kabalega was a thorn in the side of the British for much of his reign until he was exiled to the Seychelles in 1899. Inside are his spears, bowls, throne and other personal effects on display above the actual resting place.

Katasiha Fort, Attraction in Hoima

The Katasiha Fort and Cave located 3 km from Hoima Town on the Hoima-Butiaba Road are surrounded by a defensive trench established in 1894 by a British Colonel Colvile, when he led an expedition against Kabalega, the then Omukama of Bunyoro; while the cave was used by Kabalega to fight off the colonial invasion of the kingdom. The site is of tourism importance and is currently used for recreation.

Karuziika Palace, Palace in Hoima ,Uganda

Due to tight security (the king has received death threats), this modern palace is almost never open. If you contact the palace a month in advance you may be able to visit the part-time home of the Bunyoro king and admire the throne room, which is draped with leopard and lion skins. Karuziika Palace is the principal seat of power for the kings of Bunyoro-Kitara since 1872;

Budongo Forest Reserve, Forest Reserve and Park in Murchison Falls National Park

The Budongo Forest Reserve is a large (825-sq-km) tract of virgin tropical forest on the Southern fringes of Murchison Falls National Park. Its main attractions are chimpanzees and birds (366 species), but the huge mahogany trees are also worth a look. It’s a great add-on to your Murchison Falls National Park visit, with your park permit allowing you entry to Budongo too.

Lake Albert located about 40km west of Hoima town

Lake Mwitanzige, also Albert Nyanza and formerly Lake Mobutu Sese Seko, is a lake located in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is Africa's seventh-largest lake, as well as the second biggest of Uganda's Great Lakes

Kibiro (Salt producing village) - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Kibiro is a small fishing village in Uganda that lies on the South-Eastern shore of Lake Albert The residents of the village are unable to produce their own agricultural products, and must trade with other communities for most of their necessities.

The Kibiro traditional sites, including a salt processing village are located approximately 1 kilometer down the escarpment, or 9 kilometers from Kigorobya town council, or 22 kilometers from Hoima Municipal town. This is a stone-age site, situated along the Eastern shore of Lake Albert.

Murchison Falls National Park, Hoima - Uganda

Murchison Falls National Park is 65 km to the North-East. It is Uganda’s oldest wildlife reserve and boasts over 90 animal species, including three of Africa’s Big Five: lions, buffaloes and leopards, elephants and rhinos. Safari game drives, boat cruises on the Nile River and the bottom of the falls, bird watching tours, sport fishing are some of the popular tours to Murchison Falls National Park.

Kibale Forest National Park, Chimpanzee Tracking and Primate Experiences

A two-hour drive west of Hoima Town leads to Kibale National Park, also known as the World’s Primate Capital, for indulgence in one of the most exciting activities on an African wildlife safari: chimpanzee tracking in the Kibale rainforest.

Also in the mix is Budongo Forest, one of the largest rainforests in East Africa (covering 825 sq. km), luring birding and nature enthusiasts. Budongo Forest bird watching trips and Budongo Forest chimpanzee tracking tours can be arranged with Responsible Tourism Company.

Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve in Hoima, Uganda

Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve was gazetted as a reserve in 2002. However, in the early 1960s, the Uganda Game Department sought to exert more control over sport hunting in Uganda by declaring certain areas to be Controlled Hunting Areas (CHAs) in which sport hunting could only be carried out by special license, and against carefully set quotas.

The Kaiso-Tonya area on the shoreline of Lake Albert was gazetted as a Controlled Hunting Areas in 1963 as it harboured isolated but important populations of Uganda kob, buffalo and hartebeest. Game Department records indicate that hunting in Kaiso-Tonya Controlled Hunting Areas, and in its smaller neighbor Buhuka Controlled Hunting Areas, was properly regulated until the mid-1970s. Thereafter, with the breakdown of law and order in Uganda, no further management of either area took place for the next 20 years.

The Kabwoya-Kaiso Wildlife Management Area (KKWMA) is in Hoima District and covers the majority of the land formerly known as the Kaiso-Tonya Controlled Hunting Area. The Kabwoya-Kaiso Wildlife Management Area has a total area of 194 sq. km and comprises the Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve (KWR, area 87 sq. km) and the adjacent Kaiso-Tonya Community Wildlife Area (KTCWA, area 107 sq. km).

The Hohwa River separates Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve and the Kaiso-Tonya Community Wildlife Area.

The Kabwoya-Kaiso Wildlife Management Area is bounded on the East by the foot of the Albertine Rift escarpment, to the West by the shoreline of Lake Albert, to the North by the Lwamagongo River, and to the South by the Warwire River.

The Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve has been surveyed and boundary beacons installed.

Kaiso-Tonya Community Wildlife Area is the only relatively ecologically intact area of Savannah along the 200 km stretch of Lake Albert shoreline between Toro-Semliki WR in the South, and to Murchison Falls National Park  in the North. In its position in the Rift, and with its proximity to the large Bugoma Forest Reserve, the Kaiso-Tonya Community Wildlife Area - KKWMA is of great importance in maintaining corridors for genetic flow in the Albertine Rift.

Kabwoya falls within one district, Hoima and is surrounded by 3 sub-counties namely, Kabwoya, Kyangwali and Buseruka.

Kisaru Tea Estate, Tea Farm & Tea Factory by McLeod Russel Uganda Limited

Kisaru Tea Estate is located in Mid-Western Uganda, 50km West of Hoima town, in the newly created Kikuube District.

Kisaru, was originally, for 22 years, a satellite division of Bugambe Tea Estate and was converted into an independent Estate in 2020. Apart from increasing its cultivated areas for tea and gum, the Estate has set up a new production line. This resulted in a production target of 1.59 million kilograms of made tea of which 97% is expected from our own leaf and 3% form bought leaf.

Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, Hoima

Located 250km (155 miles) North-West of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Bugoma Forest covers more than 400sq km (154sq miles). Bugoma Forest lies along the Northern tip of the Albertine Rift Valley, which divides Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Bugoma Forest is home to 38 species of mammals, of which four are globally threatened and nine are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list.

Some 600 chimpanzees, classified as endangered and of global conservation concern, live in this stretch of tropical rainforest.

Musaijamukuru Hill

Musaijamukuru Hill is located in Buhimba sub county in Kikuube district. The Musaijamukuru Hill is ideal for hiking and hosts some cultural sites.

It was one of the command posts of Omukama Kabalega as he fought British colonialists.