Kasese town
Country: Uganda
Coordinates: 0°11′12″N 30°05′17″E
Region Western Region
Sub-region: Rwenzururu region
District: Kasese District
Elevation: 3,000 ft (1,000 m)
Population (2014 Census)
- Total 101,679
Kasese is a town north of Lake George in the Western Region of Uganda. 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 the Rwenzururu region. Charles Mumbere, the Omusinga of Rwenzururu, maintains a palace in the town.
Location
Kasese town is at the western end of the now partially functional Uganda Railway to Kampala and Tororo and is home to Kasese Airport. The city is near the Rwenzori Mountains and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kasese is approximately 345 kilometres (214 mi), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. This is about 61 kilometres (38 mi), by road, north-east of Mpondwe, the border town at the international border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The coordinates of Kasese are 0°11’12.0″N, 30°05’17.0″E (Latitude:0.186667; Longitude:30.088050).
Population
In August 2014, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimated the population of the town at 101,679.
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 savannah national parks in Uganda, and the Rwenzori mountains National Park. You can enjoy exclusive tours around with us during your stay or visit to Kasese town with a game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park or a trek to the Rwenzori mountains.
- Kasese is a cosmopolitan area with literally every tribe and language of Uganda and neighbouring countries being spoken in the town. This makes it an interesting town to spend time in.
- Hima Cement Limited is another big employer located in Hima, approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi), by road, north of Kasese.
- Increased trade with the eastern districts of the DRC. The border town of Mpondwe is only 61 kilometres (38 mi) south-west of Kasese town.
Industry
- 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
- Kilembe Mines is a copper and cobalt mine in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community.
The mine is located in Kilembe, a suburb of the town of Kasese, in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains in the Western Region of Uganda Kilembe Mines is Uganda’s largest copper mine, with estimated deposits of copper in excess of 4,000,000 tonnes and an undetermined amount of cobalt ore. In addition, there approximately 2,800 acres (1,100 ha), of unexplored acreage at the site.
Kasese town is located in a rich mineral region which is highly industrialized reason area members of parliament were lobbying for Kasese to be a mineral city when it missed out on being recognized as Uganda’s tourism city in favour of Fort portal.
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