Masindi Port
Encyclopedia
Location
Masindi Port is located in Masindi DistrictMasindi District
Masindi District is a district in Western Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town' of Masindi, the location of the district headquarters. The region of the country in which the district is located is comparatively dry, but is fertile enough to support a...
in western Uganda. The town is located on the western banks of the Victoria Nile, approximately 200 kilometres (124.3 mi), by road, northwest of Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda's capital and largest city. This location is approximately 50 kilometres (31.1 mi), by road, east of Masindi
Masindi
Masindi is a town in Western Uganda, which lies on the road from Kampala to the Murchison Falls National Park. It is the 'chief town' of the Masindi District and the district headquarters are located there...
, the district capital. The coordinates of the town are:00 42 00N, 32 04 20E (Latitude:1.7000; Longitude:32.0722).
Overview
Masindi Port was a busy river boat docking station during the late 19th an early 20th centuries. Back then, steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s were a major mode of transport on the Nile River. Due to the Karuma Falls and Murchison Falls
Murchison Falls
Murchison Falls, also known as Kabarega Falls, is a waterfall on the Nile. It breaks the Victoria Nile, which flows across northern Uganda from Lake Victoria to Lake Kyoga and then to the north end of Lake Albert in the western branch of the East African Rift....
on the Victoria Nile between Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...
and Lake Albert, steamboats could not navigate that part of the Nile. Passengers would travel by boat from Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
, up the Victoria Nile into Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...
. They would then disembark at Masindi Port and travel by land to Butiaba
Butiaba
Butiaba, sometimes spelled as Butyaba, is a town in Western Uganda.-Location:Butiaba is situated on the eastern shores of Lake Albert, in Masindi District. It is located approximately , by road, west of the district headquarters at Masindi. This location is approximately , by road, northwest of...
, a port on Lake Albert, where they would resume their water journey upstream the Nile. With the decline of this mode of river transportation, Masindi Port and Butiaba have been reduced to mainly market towns.