Kampala, Uganda, Africa

Invitation to Kampala -my city.

Kampala is the capital of Uganda and the largest city in the country.  
Location:

Kampala is located in Uganda East Africa and the city’s coordinates are: 00 19N, 32 35E.
Brief History

Kabaka Mutesa 1 had chosen the area that was to become Kampala as one of his favorite hunting grounds. It was made up of hills and wetlands. It was a bleeding ground for many game animals particularly the Impala. When the British colonialists came they named one of the hills the hill of Impala. Due to the large number of impala. The Baganda used this reference in their local language (Luganda) - 'Akasozi K'empala. So K’empala became 'Kampala due to repeated usage, and when the colonialists wanted a name for the city they adopted Kampala.

Major Attractions:
The are several major attractions in Kampala but the main ones are; Kasubi tombs which are located on Kasubi hill 5 kilometers from the city centre. It is a burial ground for 4 kings of Buganda and it is therefore significant for the loyal family and the entire Buganda kingdom. Then we have the Rubaga cathedral located on Rubaga hill. Many religious people come to the cathedral to warship and are one of the landmark buildings in Kampala. 
The Uganda museum is the oldest museum in Uganda formerly it was locate at Fort Lugard on old Kampala hill and now it is on kitante hill.
The bahai Temple located on kikaya hill 4 miles from Kampala city centre. It is the mother temple of Africa.


The Namugongo Martyrs’ shrine is situated 12 kilometers from Kampala city centre in Namugongo.

 It is where the Uganda martyrs were executed by Kabaka mwanga due to their failure to withdraw from their new adopted faith –Christianity. Namugongo shrine has been visited by many people Notably Archbishop Robert Runcie of Canterbury in 1984 and in 1993 pope John Paul II. In the whole country including the city Kampala June 3rd is a public holiday in honor of the massacre of the Uganda martyrs.

Food and accommodation
The hospitality industry in Kampala is well developed as evidenced by the CHOGUM 2007 conference and several international conferences that take place here every year. We have international hotels like the Sheraton hotel, Serena hotel, and Hilton hotel which is now under completion. We have several hotels which have achieved international standards, hotels like Speke Hotel, Emin Pasha Hotel, Fairway Hotel, Protea Hotel Kampala, Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, and Golf Course Hotel, Grand Imperial, Mosa Court Apartments, Kabira Country Club and several others.
 When it comes to food there are many choices depending on the occasion you can enjoy dinner from a 5 star restaurant you can spend from 50cents USD to your highest limit. In fast food we have international brand like Nandos and Steers both on Jinja road, we have Domino's Pizza and several others.  There are a variety of restaurants to pick from Ugandan and the other available are Belgian, Chinese, Japanese, French, Turkish Mediterranean and Indian.

Night life and partying
Kampala has a very active night life from a slow and quite Ugandan bar to the fire of capital pub past 2: AM Kampala night life does not end well past the next day. I think there are very few cities across this continent that can rival our night life. We have several bars that include Al’s bar in Kansanga, Capital pub in Kabalagala, Rock Garden at speak Hotel, Bubbles O’Leary which is an Irish pub, steak out in Wandegeya; we have several night clubs which include Club Silk and Ange Noir.
Transport

In Kampala there are several means of transport which include bus, Taxi. Here we have to types of taxis one is a 14 sitter and the other we refer to it as special hire taxi. You can also use Bodaboda (Motor bike). You can also get a car from car hire services around the city for a self drive.
Security
Kampala is generally safe both day and night. We Ugandans are some of the most resilient people in the World:  We have seen wars, overthrows, dictators; bombing attacks come and go but for the last 27 years there has been stability in Kampala save for the 2010 terrorist attack.
Welcome to the city that never sleeps.

Nairobi City, Kenya

by  Jacob Muoki

Picture By: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/03/0304_difficult_cities/image/008_nairobi.jpg

Nairobi City, Kenya Brief History Established in 1889 during the building of the Kenya-Uganda railway, Nairobi stands as the Kenya’s capital and East Africa’s most populous city. It’s the most industrialized city in the country and is inhabited by people of all walks of life and members of the 42 different Kenyan tribes. Nairobi is a regional business hub and hosts the United States Embassy (the biggest in East Africa) and the United Nation’s UNEP and UN-Habitat headquarters. The city’s growth as a technology hub in the entire continent of Africa has attracted the attention of technology giants such as Google and Cisco Systems, who have established their continental headquarters there.
Major Attractions The main tourist attraction in Nairobi is the Nairobi National Park, the only one in the world located in a capital city. The park hosts a wide array of wildlife including cheetahs, buffaloes, and hyenas and over 400 species of birds. Other attractions in the park include an animal orphanage and the Safari Walk. Located 7 kilometres from the CBD, the National Park can be accessed via road or air (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport).
Food and Accommodation Nairobi hosts several world-class hotels, which tourists and other visitors may find suitable for short-term accommodation. The Sarova Stanley, Intercontinental, Hilton, Nairobi Serena and Norfolk are some of the luxury hotels located in the heart of the city. The Safari Park Hotel is 15 minutes drive from the CBD off Nairobi-Thika super highway. The hotels serve a wide range of international cuisines as well as the country’s popular version of barbecued meat that the locals refer to as “Nyama Choma”.

Nightlife and Partying Many tourists don’t leave Nairobi before they’ve visited the Carnivore restaurant, which is home to the Simba Saloon night club. The club is located about five kilometres from the CBD towards Langata. Other night clubs in the city include Betty’s in the CBD and Changes in Westlands area. There, revellers are treated to a combination of hip hop music, reggae and local tunes popularly referred to as “Genge” or “Kapuka”.
Transport International visitors arrive at the city via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Alternatively, visitors entering Kenya via Moi International Airport in Mombasa may commute by rail, road or air to Nairobi. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is about 15 kilometres from the CBD and is accessed via cabs (taxis). Visitors from Mombasa may choose to commute by train, which is relatively slow and may take up to 16 hours to get to Nairobi. Movement around the city or to towns nearby is possible via taxis or car hire services. Many tourists don’t use public transportation except in cities served by rail or long-distance luxury bus companies. This is because only these guarantee passenger safety and professionalism.
Security Nairobi’s CBD and all other areas of tourist interests are for the most part secure. Ever since the 1998 bombings of the American embassy in Nairobi, security has been beefed up around the city and an elite tourist-protection police unit set up. However, the American government has issued and lifted travel advisories against Nairobi more than once since 1998. Thus, the city, especially US, European and Israeli interests, remain potential targets of terror attacks. However, visitors that avoid city estates and areas such as the Kibera slums and Eastlands remain safe from day to day threats to security.