Butaleja is a town in Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the district headquarters and the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Butaleja District. The district is named after the town.

Location

Butaleja is located approximately 42.5 km southwest of Mbale, the largest city in Uganda's Eastern Region. It is approximately 48 km northwest of Tororo, in Tororo District, the nearest large town. Butaleja is located about 254 km northeast of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. The coordinates of the town are:0°55'30.0"N, 33°56'42.0"E (Latitude:0.9250; Longitude:33.9450). Butaleja Town Council sits at an average elevation of 1100 m above mean sea level.

Population

In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), estimates the town's population at 5,500. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population of the town at 5,700. In 2014, the national population census put the population of Butaleja at 19,561. In 2015, UBOS estimated the population of Butaleja Town Council at 20,200. In 2020, the population agency estimated the mid-year population of the town at 24,000. Of these, 12,000 (50 percent) were females and another 12,000 (50 percent) were males. UBOS calculated the population growth rate of Butaleja Town to average 3.51 percent, annually, between 2015 and 2020.

Points of interest

The following points of interest lie within town:

1. The headquarters of Butaleja District Administration
2. Butaleja Central Market
3. A mobile branch of PostBank Uganda
4. The offices of Butaleja Town Council