Fort Portal City | Tourism City of Uganda

Fort Portal city also commonly known as the Kabarole district is located in the Western part of Uganda and it is where the seat of the Kabarole district and the Toro kingdom is located. It is approximately 296kilometres by road, West of Kampala. On 1^st July 2020, it was elevated from a municipality to a Tourism city status.

The population of Fort Portal City

In the year 2002, according to the national census, the population in Fort Portal was 41,000. 2010 according to the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics(UBOS) estimated around 46,300 people and in mid-2020 the city’s population was estimated to be around 60,800 by UBOS.

Uganda’s Tourism City

The health of Fort Portal City

The area has three main hospitals that are Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, which is administered by the Ministry of Health, Holy Family Virika Hospital under the Roman Catholic church, and Kabarole Missionary hospital under the church of Uganda.

Education of Fort Portal City

Three higher institutions of learning are found in the Kabarole district that is Mountains of the Moon, Uganda Pentecostal University, and currently Fins Medical University which was established in 2018.

Things to do in Fort Portal/Kabarole

The area has beautiful views and the green vegetation adds beauty to this place. Different activities can be done within and around Fort Portal and these include the following;

Kibale Forest national park

Being one of Uganda’s rainforests with 13 primate species, most tourists find it a great idea to racking man’s closest relatives that is the chimpanzees as well other primates like the vervet monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys among others.

Uganda Primates Safaris

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary in Fort Portal City

While in Fort Portal, get a chance to ride to Kibale and visit the Bigodi wetland sanctuary. This area is known to host primates as well as bird species, for example, Rwenzori Turaco, Black beef eater, Black-capped Apalis, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, Dusky Crimson Wing, and Green Breasted pitta among others. Bird watchers are encouraged to carry with them binoculars and good cameras for taking photographs while on their tour.

Tooro Babies Home

While in Fort Portal city, get a chance to pay a visit to the Tooro babies home, a non-profit organization that takes care of abandoned and orphaned children. You can also make a difference by donating to the lives of these children. This helps to improve the lives of these children.

Karuzika palace in Fort Portal City

This is also known as the Omukama palace, well situated on a hill, and was built by the Toro people in the 1960s with a unique design that left a good impression. Come and learn more about the history of the people of Toro and how they have managed to take kingship from one leader to another over the years. Tourists also purposely visit this site to see the magnificent structure. The Toro Kingdom is among the four traditional kingdoms in Uganda and is presently ruled by King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru.

Lake Kyaninga

This is a crater lake located near Kyaninga lodge with an elevation of 1,538 meters and was formed about 10,000years ago due to volcanic activity. It is considered an ideal place for nature lovers as you get to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding.

Amabeere Ga Nyinamwiru caves in Fort Portal City

This is a historical site located 10kilometers from Fort Portal town near Nyakasura school. The story of these caves is a more thrilling one as it related to the Bachwezi and literally means the ‘breasts of Nyinamwiru’. A hike to these caves is more enjoyable in the way that you find stalactites that resemble the woman’s breasts. The hike takes about 3hours and is educative in a way that you get to learn more about the Geography of these unique caves

Uganda’s Tourism City

Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve in Fort Portal City

This game reserve was established in 1926 and due to its strategic location with the rift valley setting between Rwenzori and Kijura escarpment, here you get to view a lot of wildlife as well as interact with the local people around the wildlife reserve as you get to learn about how they have managed to survive over the years in this particular area. Butterfly species, as well as birds, inhabit this exact reserve and here bird watchers are given opportunities to see as many birds as they can.

How to reach Fort Portal City?

By road

The Tourism city can be accessed by bus from Kampala via Mubende, Kyenjojo, and then arrive at Fort Portal. Either way one can use the route via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kamwenge and later connect to Fort Portal

When to visit Fort Portal City

This region is beautiful with a unique landscape and green tea plantations can be visited at any time of the year depending on when the tourist wishes to travel.