Mpondwe

Mpondwe is a town in the Western Region of Uganda.[2]

Mpondwe
Mpondwe
Map of Uganda showing the location of Mpondwe.
Coordinates: 00°02′24″N 29°43′30″E
CountryUganda
RegionWestern Region
Sub-regionRwenzururu sub-region
DistrictKasese District
Elevation
1,190 m (3,900 ft)
Population
 (2014 Census)
 • Total51,018[1]
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

Location

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

Mpondwe is approximately 61 kilometres (38 mi), by road, south-west of Kasese, where the district headquarters are located.[3] This location is approximately 432 kilometres (268 mi), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.[4] The coordinates of the town are 0° 02' 24.00"N, 29° 43' 30.00"E (Latitude:0.0400; Longitude:29.7250).[5]

Overview

Mpondwe is one of the three busiest border crossings between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The other two are Goli, in Nebbi District and Bunagana, in Kisoro District. The town is the busiest border crossing between the two countries, based on volume of exports and imports.[2][6]

Population

In 2002, the national population census estimated the population of Mpondwe at 12,050. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 16,100. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 16,700.[7] The national census in August 2014 put the population at 51,018.[1]

One Stop Border Post

In March 2018, The Independent (Uganda) reported that the government of Uganda, had secured a loan of US$14 million (USh50.4 billion), to facilitate cross-border trade between Uganda and DR Congo. The Ugandan government, through the Uganda Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives and the Uganda Ministry of Works and Transport, in collaboration with other stakeholders plans to use the borrowed funds to construct a one-stop-border-post (OSBP) and a Border Export Zone (BEZ) at Mpondwe.[2] The OSBP was officially opened on Thursday 17 April 2019, by president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.[8]

Points of interest

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

Prominent people
  • Crispus Kiyonga - Physician and politician. Current Ambassador to China and former Minister of defence in the Cabinet of Uganda. He was born here and maintains a home in the area. He also served as the elected member of Parliament for this constituency.[10]

See also

References
  1. UBOS (27 August 2014). "The Population of The Regions of the Republic of Uganda And All Cities And Towns of More Than 15,000 Inhabitants". Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  2. Ssali, Godfrey (6 March 2018). "Uganda: Mpondwe Export Zone to Boost Trade Between Uganda and DR Congo". The Independent (Uganda) via AllAfrica.com. Kampala. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  3. Globefeed.com (8 March 2018). "Distance between Kasese Post Office, Rwenzori Road, Kasese, Uganda and Mpondwe Customs Police Station, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  4. Globefeed.com (8 March 2018). "Distance between Post Office Building, Kampala Road, Kampala, Uganda and Mpondwe Customs Police Station, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  5. Google (2 July 2015). "Location of Mpondwe At Google Maps" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  6. Muwanga, David (10 August 2006). "Busia leads in border trade". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  7. UBOS. "Estimated Population of Mpondwe In 2002, 2010 And 2011" (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  8. Basiime, Felix (17 April 2019). "Museveni to open one-stop-border post in Kasese". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  9. The Independent (6 March 2018). "Mpondwe export zone to boost trade between Uganda and DR Congo". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  10. UPDF-SFC (2018). "Profile of Kiyonga Chrispus Walter Barrabusa, Former Member of Parliament for Bukonjo County West, Kasese District & Former Minister of Defence". Entebbe: Uganda Special Forces Command (UPDF-SFC). Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.

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