At 4,127 metres (13,540 ft), Muhabura is the third highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is part of the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift.

The limited evidence for this volcano suggests that it last erupted some time in the Holocene, but the exact date is not known.

The Smithsonian Institution states that a small parasitic crater near Muhabura had been active recently.

The name Muhabura means "The Guide" in the local language, Kinyarwanda.

[citation needed] It can be seen from many parts of Uganda and Rwanda because of its slope.