Kasese

Kasese
Kasese Location in Uganda
Coordinates: 0°11′N 30°05′E
Country	Uganda
Region	Western Uganda
Sub-region	Rwenzururu sub-region
District	Kasese District
Government
• Mayor
Elevation	3,000 ft (1,000 m)
Population (2011 Estimate)
• Total	74,300

Kasese is a town in Western Uganda, lying north of Lake George. It originally grew around the copper mine at Kilembe, while attention later turned to cobalt mining. It is the 'chief town' of Kasese District and the district headquarters are located there. Kasese is also the largest town in Renzururu sub-region (Kingdom) and the King of Rwenzururu maintains a palace in the town.

Location

Kasese lies at the western end of the Uganda Railway to Kampala and Tororo, and is home to Kasese Airport. The city is known for its nightlife and lies near the Rwenzori Mountains and Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is located approximately 350 kilometres (220 mi), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.

Population

The 2002 national census estimated the population of Kasese at 53,907. In 2008, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), estimated the population of the town at 66,600. In 2011, UBOS estimated the population of Kasese at 74,300. Kasese town is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Uganda. The reasons for this rapid population growth include:

• Increased tourism - Kasese is the gateway to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the most popular in Uganda and the Rwenzori National Park.
• Kilembe Mines employs a large number of workers, when it is functional
• Hima Cement Factory is another big employer not far (approx. 29 kilometres (18 mi) north) from Kasese.
• Increased trade with the eastern districts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - the border town of Mpondwe is only 36 kilometres (22 mi), southwest of Kasese.
• Good transportation - The road between Kasese and Kampala is an all-weather tarmac highway. Kasese Airport receives regular flights from Entebbe International Airport. The railway to Kampala is currently non-functional but plans are underway to resume service.

Industry

The town of Hima, approximately 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of Kasese is the site of a Hima Cement Limited, the second-largest cement manufacturer in Uganda. Hima Cement Limited, is a subsidiary of the French conglomerate, Lafargee.

Kasese Cobalt Company Limited (KCCL), located on the road from Kasese to Rubirizi, just south of the central business district of Kasese, extracts cobalt from the sludge left after copper is extracted from the raw ore. The cobalt is then exported. Kasese has also given name to a crude variant of Waragi, an alcoholic spirit.

Points of interest

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

• The headquarters of Kasese District Administration
• The offices of Kasese Town Council
• Kasese Central Market
• Kasese Hospital - A 200-bed public hospital, administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health
• A branch of Barclays Bank
• A branch of Centenary Bank
• A branch of Stanbic Bank
• A branch of PostBank Uganda
• A branch of Pride Microfinance Limited
• A branch of the National Social Security Fund
• Hima Cement Limited - The second-largest cement factory in Uganda, located in the town of Hima, pop. 29,700 (2011), about 29 kilometres (18 mi), by road, north of Kasese.
• Kasese Airport
• Kasese Cobalt Company Limited - Cobalt extraction and prrocessing
• Kilembe Mines Limited - Extraction of copper (now dormant). Maintains a private hospital (now active) and a mini-hydropower plant that supplies the town of Kasese
• Kilembe Mines Hospital - A private 100-bed hospital administered by Kilembe Mines Limited.
• Springs International Hotel - A middle-class hotel built by the late Major General James Kazini, a native son. The hotel was purchased in 2011 by the Shamuk Group.
• Hotel Margherita

See also

• Railway stations in Uganda
• Kasese District
• Kagando Hospital
• Rwenzururu sub-region
• Western Region, Uganda