Nyendo, Masaka City, Uganda +256 705 771149 info@upcountryafrica.org

Our Community

Where We Work

We operate in "Masaka, Kalangala, and Lwengo" districts in central Uganda.

Kalangala

A district comprising islands in Lake Victoria, including Bugala Island. Many communities face isolation and limited access to services.

Lwengo

A rural district with high rates of poverty, early pregnancy, and limited economic opportunities.

Masaka (Home District)

Masaka is a city in central Uganda, approximately 132 km (82 miles) southwest of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. It lies close to the equator at an elevation of 1,288 meters (4,226 ft).

Brief History:
Masaka was founded as a township in 1953, became a town council in 1953, and achieved municipality status in 1968. Masaka was strategically important during the Uganda–Tanzania War (1978–1979) and was garrisoned by Uganda Army troops, who terrorized civilians and led to destruction in the town.



On 23–24 February 1979, the Tanzania People’s Defence Force and allied Ugandan rebels attacked the settlement. The town was bombarded and later fell to the Tanzanian-led forces after resistance. The Tanzanians later leveled much of the town as revenge for atrocities committed by the Uganda Army during its earlier invasion of northwestern Tanzania.

During the Ugandan bush war, Masaka again experienced fighting. The town was later garrisoned by the Uganda National Liberation Army, and in late 1985, the National Resistance Army laid siege to the town. After heavy combat, the garrison surrendered on 10 December 1985.

In 2019, the Cabinet of Uganda resolved to award city status to Masaka effective July 2022. In November 2019, the date was revised to 1 July 2022. Masaka is now recognized as a city.