Mpondwe

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title: "Mpondwe" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["kasese-district", "rwenzururu-sub-region", "populated-places-in-western-region,-uganda", "democratic-republic-of-the-congo–uganda-border-crossings", "cities-in-the-great-rift-valley"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpondwe" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Mpondwe
image_caption	Mpondwe
mapsize	150px
pushpin_map_caption	Map of Uganda showing the location of Mpondwe.
pushpin_map	Uganda
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Uganda
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Western Region
subdivision_type2	Sub-region
subdivision_name2	Rwenzururu sub-region
subdivision_type3	District
subdivision_name3	Kasese District
leader_title	Mayor
population_as_of	2024 Census
population_total	65539
timezone	EAT
utc_offset	+3
coordinates
elevation_m	1220
::

Mpondwe is a town in the Western Region of Uganda.

History

In June 2023, the Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe was attacked by militants linked to Islamic State group from the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo. Around 40 people, mostly school boys were killed while several girls were abducted.

Location

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 55.5 km, by road, south-west of Kasese, where the district headquarters are located.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kasese/Bwera/@0.0759537,29.7795931,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x1761f22d0aeab9db:0x2459705d97ccfe70!2m2!1d30.078078!2d0.1698986!1m5!1m1!1s0x1761de4b94e8e959:0x746f3e2d97d78604!2m2!1d29.7599761!2d0.0364501!3e0 | title=Road Distance Between Kasese, Uganda And Mpondwe, Uganda | access-date=25 January 2021}} This is about 131 km southwest of Fort Portal, the nearest large city.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Fort+Portal/Bwera/@0.2795899,29.5982712,9.25z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x1763da423ccd41c1:0xb3115cac70684750!2m2!1d30.2801166!2d0.6546257!1m5!1m1!1s0x1761de4b94e8e959:0x746f3e2d97d78604!2m2!1d29.7599761!2d0.0364501!3e0 | Travel Distance Between Fort Portal, Uganda And Mpondwe, Uganda | access-date=25 January 2021}} Bwera is located approximately 424 km, by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kampala/Bwera/@-0.0282587,30.8734106,8z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x177dbc0f9d74b39b:0x4538903dd96b6fec!2m2!1d32.5825197!2d0.3475964!1m5!1m1!1s0x1761de4b94e8e959:0x746f3e2d97d78604!2m2!1d29.7599761!2d0.0364501!3e0 | title=Map Showing Kampala, Uganda And Bwera, Uganda With Distance Marker |access-date=25 January 2021}} The geographical coordinates of the town are 0° 02' 24.00"N, 29° 43' 30.00"E (Latitude:0.0400; Longitude:29.7250). The town sits at an average elevation of 1220 m above mean sea level.

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.

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. The national census in August 2014 put the population at 51,131.

In 2015, UBOS estimated the population of Mpondwe Municipality at 52,000. In 2020, the population agency estimated the mid-year population of the town at 58,600 people. Of these, 30,400 (51.9 percent) were females and 28,200 (48.1 percent) were males. UBOS calculated the annual population growth rate of Mpondwe to average 2.34 percent per year, between 2015 and 2020.{{cite web| publisher=Citypopulation.de | url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uganda/western/admin/kasese/SC0862__mpondwe_lhubiriha/ |title=The population development of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha as well as related information and services | date=14 June 2021 |author=Uganda Bureau of Statistics | access-date=25 January 2021 |format=Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics}}

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. Construction of the OSBP and BEZ was officially commissioned on Thursday 17 April 2019, by president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. As of June 2022, completion of the OSBP and BEZ was estimated at 92 percent.

Points of interest

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

Offices of the Uganda Revenue Authority
Bwera General Hospital – A 120-bed public Hospital, administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health
Mpondwe Central Market
Offices of Mpondwe-Bwera Town Council
International border crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mpondwe Border Export Zone (In development).
The Mbarara–Kisangani Road crosses between Uganda and DRC at this location.

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.

References

(17 June 2023). "Uganda school attack: Dozens of pupils killed by militants linked to Islamic State group". BBC News.
"Parliamentary Committee On EAC Affairs Visits Mpondwe One Stop Border Post".
"Location of Mpondwe At Google Maps".
Floodmap. (25 January 2021). "Elevation of Mpondwe, Uganda". Floodmap.net.
Ssali, Godfrey. (6 March 2018). "Uganda: Mpondwe Export Zone to Boost Trade Between Uganda and DR Congo". [[The Independent (Uganda)]] via [[AllAfrica.com]].
"Busia leads in border trade". (10 August 2006). link. Muwanga. David
Uganda Bureau of Statistics. (2012). "Estimated Population of Mpondwe In 2002, 2010 And 2011". [[Uganda Bureau of Statistics]].
Uganda Bureau of Statistics. (14 June 2020). "The population of all Ugandan cities and towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants according to census results and latest official projections". Citypopulation.de.
Felix Basiime. (17 April 2019). "Museveni to open one-stop-border post in Kasese". [[Daily Monitor]].
David Lumu. (8 June 2022). "Mpondwe one-stop border post completion at 92% – works officials". [[New Vision]].
The Independent. (6 March 2018). "Mpondwe export zone to boost trade between Uganda and DR Congo". [[The Independent (Uganda)]].
Samuel Baya. (19 February 2019). "Missing links in proposed Mombasa-Lagos highway". [[Business Daily Africa]].
UPDF-SFC. (2018). "Profile of Kiyonga Chrispus Walter Barrabusa, Former Member of Parliament for Bukonjo County West, Kasese District & Former Minister of Defence". [[Uganda People's Defence Forces.

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