Port Bell is a small industrial centre in the greater metropolitan
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...
area, in
Uganda
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
. Port Bell has a
rail link and a
railroad ferry wharf
A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
used for International traffic across
Lake Victoria to
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
and
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
.
Location
Port Bell is located in
Nakawa Division, one of the five administrative divisions of the city of Kampala. It is a subdivision of the greater
Luzira area in the south-eastern part of the city. It is located at the end of a narrow inlet of Lake Victoria, approximately , by road, south-east of the central business district of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The coordinates of Port Bell are 0°17'20.0"N, 32°39'13.0"E (Latitude:0.288900; Longitude:32.653620).
Overview
The port is named after
Henry Hesketh Bell, a British commissioner, who took over administration of Britain's interests in Uganda in 1906. Its rail link is a branch line from the Kampala-Jinja main line.
Lake Victoria ferries operate from Port Bell linking Kampala to other
railhead ports on Lake Victoria including
Jinja,
Kisumu
Kisumu ( ) is the third-largest city in Kenya located in the Lake Victoria area in the former Nyanza Province. It is the second-largest city after Kampala in the Lake Victoria Basin. The city has a population of slightly over 600,000. The ...
,
Musoma, and
Mwanza.
When the first stage of the
Uganda Railway was completed in 1901, the railhead was at Kisumu, 12 hours journey from Port Bell by ship. Ferries brought goods by lake between Port Bell and Kisumu.
It was not until 1931 that the main line of the railway from
Nakuru reached Kampala and then Port Bell.
Industry
Uganda Breweries Limited, a subsidiary of
East African Breweries, has a brewery and a distillery for
Uganda Waragi at Port Bell.
Points of interest
The points of interest in or near Port Bell include:
*
Luzira Maximum Security Prison — Has a capacity of 20,000
inmate
A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a sentence in pr ...
s, including about 500 on
death row.
*
Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited — this US$40 million factory is the only one in
sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
that manufactures triple
antiretroviral drug
The management of HIV/AIDS normally includes the use of multiple Antiviral drug, antiretroviral drugs as a strategy to control HIV/AIDS, HIV infection. There are several classes of antiretroviral agents that act on different stages of the HIV li ...
therapy medication.
* Uganda Breweries Limited — division of
East African Breweries and maker of
Uganda Waragi, a triple-distilled
gin and Bell beer
* Port Bell — a port on the shores of
Lake Nalubaale, handlin passenger and cargo traffic destined for Kisumu, Kenya and Mwanza and
Musoma in Tanzania. The port is undergoing a two-year upgrade and renovation.
Air travel
Between 1930 and 1950 Port Bell was a landing point on the
Imperial Airways flying boat passenger and mail route from
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
to Johannesburg's
Vaal Dam. Port Bell linked
Khartoum and Kisumu. The nearby Silver Springs Hotel was originally built by the
British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the United Kingdom, British state-owned national airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II ...
as a rest stop for passengers between long flights. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Port Bell was also on the route connecting
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
with
Libreville.
See also
*
Railway stations in Uganda
*
Transport in Uganda
*
Rift Valley Railways
References
External links
About Port Bell In 2009
{{Kampala District
Neighborhoods of Kampala
Economy of Uganda
Populated places on Lake Victoria
Luzira
Nakawa Division
Ports and harbours of Uganda