Fort Portal or Kabarole (lit. 'let them see') is a city located in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the seat of both Kabarole District and historically of the Tooro Kingdom.

Etymology

Fort Portal was named after British diplomat Sir Gerald Portal, as it was where his base was.

Location

Fort Portal in Kabarole District is located approximately 296 km by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city, on an all-tarmac two-lane highway. The geographical coordinates of Fort Portal City are 0°39'16.0"N, 30°16'28.0"E (Latitude: 0.654444; Longitude: 30.274444). Fort Portal is situated at an average elevation of 1523 m above sea level.

City Status

On 1 July 2020, Fort Portal was elevated from municipality to a "Tourism city" status. In 2019, in preparation for the award of city status, Ford Portal annexed several surrounding neighborhoods and sub-counties, including (a) Karago (b) Ibaale Parish (c) Burungu Parish (d) Karambi sub-county (e) Bukuku sub-county and (f) parts of Busoro sub-county.

Population

According to the 2002 national census, the population of Fort Portal was about 41,000. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 46,300. In 2011, UBOS estimated the population at 47,100. In August 2014, the national population census put the population at 54,275. In 2020 UBOS estimated the mid-year population of the city as 60,800. The population agency calculated that the population of the city grew at an average rate of 2.12 percent annually between 2014 and 2020.

Healthcare

Fort Portal is home to three hospitals. Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, a 300-bed public hospital administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health is the largest. The next-largest is Holy Family Virika Hospital, a private hospital with a bed capacity of 155, owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal. The smallest of the hospitals is the 100-bed Kabarole Missionary Hospital, a community hospital administered by the Church of Uganda, originally founded by John Edward Church of the Church Mission Society.

Education

The city houses three institutions of higher learning. The main campus of Mountains of the Moon University, previously a private university, but now a public university, is located in the city center. Also located within the city is the main campus of Uganda Pentecostal University, a private university affiliated with the Pentecostal Movement. A new university, the Fins Medical University, was established in the city in 2018. St. Mary's Minor Seminary, a Catholic secondary school for prospective Catholic priests, is also located in Fort Portal.

Notable people