The Kabaka’s lake is one of best places to visit while in Kampala. It is the largest man-made lake in Uganda and is found in Ndeeba, one of the city suburbs. Ndeeba is located 5km away from the Kampala City center but the lake lies between Nabunya road and Ring road. The origin of the Kabaka’s lake dates back to the 1880s when Kabaka (King) Mwanga II of Buganda was inspired by a number of reasons to construct the lake. One of the reasons was to create an escape route through Lake Victoria in case he faced danger from land.
During Kabaka Mwanga’s reign, he had many conflicts with Missionaries and British colonialists. The King was deeply rooted in his traditional belied and customs. He saw foreign religions as a threat to his rule and that is why he ordered the killing of the Uganda Martyrs. The King also decided to construct the 
lake to connect his palace to Lake Victoria where he often went to practice his hobbies of swimming and fishing. The lake would also connect his other palace in Mengo to another located in Mulungu hill (Munyonyo area) just near Lake Victoria. This palace had been built by his late father Kabaka Muteesa.
Having made up his mind to build the lake, Kabaka Mwanga mobilized his subjects from all the 52 clans of Buganda. The population of Buganda was about 2 million at the time and that was enough to provide all the manpower he needed for the project. It should be stressed that not everyone in the kingdom was willing to participate in the project. Some Princesses, Princes and Parish chiefs had distanced themselves from the project. When the Kabaka learnt about it, he decided to go and take part in the excavations himself. This act left the defiant individuals embarrassed by their actions and eventually participated in the project. The excavation project was embarked on in 1880 and this part of the work lasted for only 11 months. Due to the technicality of the work, several lives were lost from accidents, fatigue and hunger.
When the excavation project had reached a place called Najjanankumbi (about 2km away from Mengo palace), it was suddenly stopped due to insecurities that had befallen the Buganda kingdom. Religious conflicts arose following the killings of the young Christian Martyrs on orders of the King. Kabaka Mwanga ordered the killings of several Christian and Muslim converts between 1885 to 1887. Some were burnt to death in what is referred to as the Namugongo holocaust while others were killed in other locations by spearing or beheading. Kabaka Mwanga ruled his kingdom with an iron hand and whoever annoyed him faced certain death. The King killed the Martyrs because they had failed to denounce Christianity.
The King diverted his efforts to dealing with his assumed enemies and political upheaval that arose as a result of his actions. Kabaka Mwanga did not live long enough to see the Lake completed as per his initial plan. He was exiled and a young son of this ascended the throne. Despite not completing the project, an enormous hole had been created which got filled with water from underground springs to form a beautiful lake. The Kabaka’ lake covers an area of about 2 square kilometers and is 200 feet deep. The Kabaka’s lake is special because it doesn’t have any river tributaries or streams pouring their waters into it. The Kabaka’s Lake gets it waters from underground springs and that is why water levels are relatively the same during both dry and wet seasons.
Visiting the Kabaka’s Lake
There is a lot to see while touring the Kabaka’s Lake and there is no entrance fee. The lake has a small beautiful island with small trees standing out gracefully from it. Visitors to the Kabaka’s lake have an opportunity to visit the small island using canoes operated by well-trained Guides. These Guides are very knowledgeable about the Lake and will share beautiful stories about the history of the Buganda kingdom. Apart from taking a canoe to the island, the Kabaka’s Lake is surrounded by lush green gardens where people often go to sit, meditate and relax as they take in fresh air or hear the soothing sounds of bird. Taking about birds, the Kabaka’s Lake is a birders paradise. Hundreds of species call the lake home and is the place to start with if you are planning for a birding trip to Uganda. Birders can see several species flying around or floating in the lake.
A visit to the Kabaka’s lake is more rewarding if you combine it with visiting the Kasubi tombs and the nearby Kabaka’s palace in Mengo. Visiting both places will offer you an opportunity to see amazing traditional regalia, learn some of the cultural norms and traditions or hear amazing stories from elderly cultural Guides. The Buganda kingdom conducts annual tourism expos and other activities where the king gets to meet his subjects at the lake. During these expos, you will find the king accompanied by his royal guards who are locally called ‘abambowa’. The Guards show up dressed smartly in their traditional attire while wielding shields and spears. Among those invited for this occasion are political, cultural and religious leaders. The event usually involves sporting competitions in the lake among other activities.
In conclusion, the Kabaka’s lake should be on everyone’s bucket list while in Kampala city. The lake is currently undergoing renovations to make it even more beautiful and attract more tourists. There are also plans to construct high quality accommodation facilities close to the lake and the intension is to position it to receive even more visitors from across the globe.
