Mbarara

[3] The name of the municipality came from a colonial mispronunciation of Emburara (Hyperemia rufa), a tall grass that previously covered the whole area.

Mbarara is an important transport hub, lying west of Masaka on the road to Kabale, near Lake Mburo National Park.

This is about 270 kilometres (168 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and oldest city.

[11] Starting with 2000, modern buildings have been established including malls, arcades, plaza, and hotels.

With significance for all Ugandan cities, Mbarara was the host to the 2004 Annual General Meeting of the Uganda Local Governments Association on 1 October, which saw the changing of the organisation to its current structure in order to represent all Ugandan local governments.

[14] Due to a rapidly expanding population, the current water supply from nearby River Rwizi is insufficient to meet the future needs of Mbarara City.

[15] The Ugandan government has borrowed €120 million to source water from the Kagera River purify it and pump it to Mbarara, Masaka and Isingiro District.