Nakawa is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital.

It is bordered by Ntinda to the north, Kyambogo to the northeast, Banda and Kireka to the est, Mbuya to the southeast, Bugoloobi to the south, Namuwongo to the southwest, Kololo in Kampala Central Division to the west, and Naguru to the northwest.

The road distance between Kampala's central business district and Nakawa is approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).

From a mere intersection of the Kampala-Jinja Highway and Ntinda Road' in the 1950s, Nakawa has grown into a bustling metropolitan area with small, medium, and large industries and some of Uganda's highest institutions of learning.

It is also home to Kampala Cemetery that contains 26 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, the total made up of 19 soldiers of the East African Forces and seven men belonging to the Uganda Police.