Mbale
Mbale is a city in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Mbale District and the surrounding sub-region. Location. Mbale is approximately , by road, northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capital and oldest city, on an all weather tarmac highway. The city lies at an average elevation of above sea level. The coordinates of the city are 1°04'50.0"N, 34°10'30.0"E (Latitude:1.080556; Longitude:34.175000). The city also lies on the railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Mount Elgon, one of the highest peaks in East Africa, is approximately , north-east of  Mbale, by road. Population. According to the 2002 national census, the population of Mbale was about 71,130. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 81,900. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 91,800. In 2014, the national population census put the population at 96,189. Twinning. Mbale was formally linked with the town of Pontypridd, Wales through local and regional twinning ceremonies in 2005. The link was intended to associate professionals and organizations in Pontypridd with their counterparts in Africa, under the auspices of the charity known as the Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust. Points  of interest. The following points of interest lie within the city limits or close to its borders: City status. In 2019 the Cabinet of Uganda, resolved to award Mbale, city status effective July 2021. In November of the same year, Cabinet revised the date of city status to 1 July 2020.