Welcome to Kagadi Town

Kagadi has a long history of development and transformation. Its history can be traced back to the Buganda Agreement of 1900, when Nsitesekoma Ambrose was appointed by the Kabaka of Buganda as the Sabaadu of Kagadi.

By 1938, approximately 49 acres of land had been acquired as the official seat of the Gombolola and the Sabaadu of Kagadi. During this period, Indian traders attempted to establish cotton-buying stores in the area. However, they were later stopped from operating, and many of the Indian traders moved to other areas.

In 1966, the Government of Uganda began constructing Kagadi Hospital. The construction attracted many people to the area, with settlements growing around the hospital as people came to provide food and other services to the workers involved in its construction.

In 1972, during the government of President Idi Amin, people from highly populated areas of kigezi were resettled in an area that became known as the Kagadi Resettlement Scheme. This contributed further to the growth of Kagadi.

In 1974, Buyaga County was divided into two, creating Buyanja County, with Kagadi becoming the headquarters of Buyaga. Later, Buyaga and Buyanja were merged and eventually elevated to sub-district status. Kagadi Trading Centre was subsequently elevated to Town Board level, marking another important stage in its development.

Between 1980 and 1985, Matia Kisembo, then Minister of Information and Member of Parliament for Hoima West constituency, initiated efforts toward the physical planning of Kagadi. His vision included plans for a bank, post office, primary school, town council and Kagadi District headquarters. However, due to political instability at the time, most of these plans were not fully implemented.

In 1989, Kasaija William Mugenyi and Bamanya Edward became district councillors representing Kagadi Sub-County in Hoima District Council. They spearheaded efforts to physically plan and develop Kagadi Town. A revised physical development plan was prepared with the support of the Physical Planning Department of the Ministry of Lands in Kampala, under the guidance of Senior Physical Planner Mr. Nathan Rubakara.

Through a self-help approach, the community participated in opening many of the roads and streets that exist in Kagadi today, covering approximately 15 kilometres. During this period, important public facilities and development areas were initiated, including Kagadi Secondary School, Kagadi Bus Park, the Market and Taxi Park, Kagadi Civic Centre and the Stadium. Land for some of these facilities was identified with the assistance of surveyors, including Peter Kyamanywa from Hoima.

The physical development of Kagadi continued progressively through different planning stages. The detailed physical plan of 1990 was later revised in 1997 and subsequently revised again in 2008-2018. The 2008 revision involved various stakeholders, including Nyakwebara, who participated as a consultant under Eco-Shelter.ug.

These successive planning efforts have contributed to the growth of Kagadi from a trading centre into an important urban and administrative centre in western Uganda. The continued development of Kagadi provides a foundation for the current vision of building a smart, inclusive and investment-ready Kagadi Town through collaborative urban planning, resource mobilization and strategic partnerships.

Kagadi's existing physical development plans have expired or been altered, allowing development to move ahead of physical planning and creating a risk of slum growth beyond the town centre. Muhumbu Cell, formerly planned as a low-density area, is one example.

In 1990, Kagadi was a growth centre with about 1,200 people. Today, within the current town boundary of about 4 km radius, the population is approximately 40,000, spread across six wards: Kyomukama, Kitegwa, Kiraba, Kibanga, Mambugu and Kagadi Central.

Source: Kagadi Town historical records