Ugandan towns
From UgandaWiki: The Uganda Online Encyclopedia
From UgandaWiki, the Uganda online encyclopedia
In Uganda, there is no formal distinction between a city and a town. Although many towns would qualify as cities based on their size, number of inhabitants and infrastructure, they are more commonly referred to as towns. Only the capital Kampala is normally referred to as a city.
Most of the main towns share names with districts, but the two concepts are different. A district is an administrative unit so designated by the Parliament of Uganda. A town, on the other hand, denotes an urban settlement, to be contrasted with the countryside or, in Ugandan terms, "the village."
A town is therefore only a part of the district. A district may, of course, have more than one town. The district usually carries the name of its major town. Hence Jinja town is the main town in Jinja District and Gulu town the main town in Gulu District. There are exceptions to this tendency. Entebbe, for example, is the oldest and biggest town in Wakiso district, but the capital of the district is Wakiso town.
