Bukoba

{{For|the ferry that sank in 1996|MV Bukoba}} {{Distinguish|text=[[Vukovar]], Croatia}} {{Infobox settlement   | official_name = Bukoba | other_name = | native_name =  | settlement_type = [[List of cities in Tanzania|Town]] of [[Kagera Region]] | motto =  | image_skyline = | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | image_dot_map = | dot_mapsize = | dot_map_caption = | dot_x = | dot_y = | pushpin_mapsize = 300 | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map = Tanzania#Africa#World | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Bukoba | pushpin_relief = yes  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Tanzania | subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Tanzania|Region]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Kagera Region]] | subdivision_type2 = [[Districts of Tanzania|District]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Bukoba Urban District]] | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 =  | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 =  | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title =  | established_date = | established_title2 =  | established_date2 = | established_title3 =  | established_date3 =  | area_magnitude = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 =  | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank1_sq_mi =  | population_as_of = 2022 census | population_footnotes = <ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tanzania/admin/18/ Citypopulation.de] Population of subdivisions in Kagera Region</ref> | population_note = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_urban = 144938 | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = Rural | population_blank1 = 322448 | population_blank2_title = | population_blank2 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | coordinates = {{coord|1|20|S|31|49|E|region:TZ|display=inline}} | timezone = [[East Africa Time]] | utc_offset = +3 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m = | elevation_ft =  | postal_code_type =  | postal_code = | area_code = 028 | blank_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]] | blank_info = [[Tropical monsoon climate|Am]] | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = {{URL|http://www.kagera.go.tz/|Regional website}} | footnotes = }}

'''Bukoba''' is a town with a population of 144,938 (2022 census),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tanzania: Regions and Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tanzania/cities/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref> situated in the northwest of [[Tanzania]] on the south-western shores of [[Lake Victoria]]. It is the capital of the [[Kagera Region|Kagera region]], and the administrative seat for [[Bukoba Urban District]].

The town is served by [[Bukoba Airport]] and regular ferry connections to and from [[Mwanza]], as well as roads to [[Uganda]]'s [[Rakai District]] for cross-border commuters. Plans are underway for a standard gauge railway<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.mwtc.go.tz |access-date=July 11, 2025 |website=www.mwtc.go.tz}}</ref> to [[Uganda]].

==History== {{See also|Battle of Bukoba}}

== Bukoba Municipal ==

Situated on the south-western shores of Lake Victoria, Bukoba lies only [[1st parallel south|1 degree south]] of the Equator.

Bukoba is situated on the south-western shores of [[Lake Victoria]] in the north-western region of [[Tanzania]]. The regional capital and Kagera's biggest town is the gateway to the region.

It boasts a white sandy beach, a large market,<ref name="Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania"/> a port<ref name="Home"/> tennis courts<ref name=MICAS>{{Cite web|url=http://www.habari.go.tz/|title=Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports|website=www.habari.go.tz|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604134812/http://habari.go.tz/|archive-date=2019-06-04|url-status=live}}</ref> and a swimming pool.<ref name=MICAS/> It has 13 banks,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bot.go.tz/|title=Bank of Tanzania (BOT): Home Page|website=www.bot.go.tz|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502074052/https://www.bot.go.tz/|archive-date=2019-05-02|url-status=live}}</ref> 5 of which take VISA cards in the ATM.

Bukoba Town itself has the status of a municipal Council. It has a municipal Director and other local government officials like other district councils in the region.

==Ports== Bukoba is currently Tanzania's second largest port on Lake Victoria after Mwanza.<ref name="Home">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ports.go.tz/index.php/en/|title=Home|website=www.ports.go.tz|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512223442/https://www.ports.go.tz/index.php/en/|archive-date=2019-05-12|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Utility==

Bukoba is served by the National Electric Utility Company [[TANESCO]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tanesco.co.tz/|title=TANESCO - Welcome to TANESCO website|website=www.tanesco.co.tz|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415173632/http://www.tanesco.co.tz/|archive-date=2019-04-15|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Economy== Kagera's Regional Commissioner resides and has his head office in The Bukoba Central Business District.<ref name="Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mit.go.tz/|title=Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania|website=www.mit.go.tz|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711021206/https://www.mit.go.tz/|archive-date=2019-07-11|url-status=live}}</ref>

Bukoba is the leading district in Tanzania with a high percentage of people with middle-class incomes. The percentage of people living under the poverty line is the lowest in the country. Bukoba has a new mall named Bakwata Complex that will start operation in September 2024.

The town is flat, compact, and surrounded by hills. The town has a bus stand,<ref name="mwtc.go.tz">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mwtc.go.tz/|title=Home {{!}} Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications|website=www.mwtc.go.tz|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713095648/http://www.mwtc.go.tz/|archive-date=2019-07-13|url-status=live}}</ref> an airport,<ref name="Tanzania Airports Authority">{{Cite web|url=http://www.taa.go.tz/|title=Tanzania Airports Authority|website=www.taa.go.tz|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727221624/http://taa.go.tz/|archive-date=2017-07-27|url-status=live}}</ref> and a port.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Port of BUKOBA (TZ BKZ) details - Departures, Expected Arrivals and Port Calls {{!}} AIS MarineTraffic |url=https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ports/19593?name=BUKOBA&country=Tanzania |access-date=2025-07-11 |website=MarineTraffic.com |language=en}}</ref> A ferry used to travel from Bukoba via Kemondo Bay Port to Mwanza on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, and soon a newly built ship, the second largest lake ship in Africa, will make ferry voyages to Bukoba daily.<ref name="mwtc.go.tz" />

==Airport== [[file:Bukoba Airport.jpg|thumb|Bukoba Airport]]

===[[Bukoba Airport]]=== The Airport<ref name="Tanzania Airports Authority"/> is located south east of the city. The address on Sokoine Road.

[[Auric Air]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.auricair.com/|title=Auric Air Services Ltd|website=www.auricair.com|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524080519/https://www.auricair.com/|archive-date=2019-05-24|url-status=live}}</ref> flies three times a day to Mwanza. In 2010 the airport<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.taa.go.tz/ |title=Tanzania Airports Authority |access-date=2019-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727221624/http://taa.go.tz/ |archive-date=2017-07-27 |url-status=live }}</ref> was extended as more flights were expected in line with capacity growth milestones of The Air Terminal reviewed after published reports every quarter of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mwtc.go.tz/ |title=Home {{pipe}} Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications |access-date=2019-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713095648/http://www.mwtc.go.tz/ |archive-date=2019-07-13 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[List of Air Tanzania destinations|Air Tanzania]] (ATCL) also have scheduled flights to Bukoba throughout the week with connecting flights through Mwanza to Dar es Salaam.

==Transport==

===Bus=== A bus<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sumatra.go.tz/ |title=Welcome to SUMATRA website |access-date=2019-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323184027/http://www.sumatra.go.tz/ |archive-date=2019-03-23 |url-status=live }}</ref> leaves for Kampala at 7 am every day (about 6 hours) and from Kampala for Bukoba at 11 am every day.

==Sports== Bukoba is represented in the [[Tanzanian Premier League]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=FIFA |url=https://www.fifa.com |access-date=22 February 2025 |website=www.fifa.com}}</ref> by football club [[Kagera Sugar]]. It is the home to several charities - including [[SHARE in Africa]] and [[Jambo Bukoba]]. Both are focused on the educational sector.

The Kaitaba Stadium<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bukobasports.com/|title=bukoba sports|website=www.bukobasports.com|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205065047/http://www.bukobasports.com/|archive-date=5 February 2016|url-status=usurped}}</ref> is also found in south east of Bukoba on Jamhuri Road. The stadium has the capacity of 15000 people and supports football games day and night.

== Climate == Bukoba has an upland [[tropical monsoon climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Amb'', because every month has a normal mean temperature of between 18 °C and 22 °C) although it is milder than most climates with that classification due to its altitude. It can sometimes get cool especially in the evenings during the two rainy seasons, but never as cold as the winter season in [[Europe]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://weather.com/|title=National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com|website=The Weather Channel|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828150844/https://weather.com/|archive-date=2019-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref> {{Weather box | location = Bukoba (1991-2020) | single line = yes | metric first = yes | Jan high C = 26.4 | Feb high C = 27.0 | Mar high C = 26.6 | Apr high C = 26.0 | May high C = 25.8 | Jun high C = 25.9 | Jul high C = 25.7 | Aug high C = 26.1 | Sep high C = 26.4 | Oct high C = 26.3 | Nov high C = 26.0 | Dec high C = 26.1 | year high C = 26.2 | Jan low C = 17.5 | Feb low C = 17.7 | Mar low C = 17.8 | Apr low C = 17.9 | May low C = 18.0 | Jun low C = 17.4 | Jul low C = 16.7 | Aug low C = 17.0 | Sep low C = 17.2 | Oct low C = 17.6 | Nov low C = 17.6 | Dec low C = 17.5 | year low C = 17.5 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 152.8 | Feb precipitation mm = 138.6 | Mar precipitation mm = 250.5 | Apr precipitation mm = 354.4 | May precipitation mm = 310.2 | Jun precipitation mm = 60.8 | Jul precipitation mm = 43.3 | Aug precipitation mm = 62.7 | Sep precipitation mm = 108.2 | Oct precipitation mm = 165.2 | Nov precipitation mm = 209.0 | Dec precipitation mm = 169.6 | year precipitation mm = 2025.3 | unit precipitation days = 1 mm | Jan precipitation days = 11.8 | Feb precipitation days = 11.1 | Mar precipitation days = 16.8 | Apr precipitation days = 19.3 | May precipitation days = 16.4 | Jun precipitation days = 4.8 | Jul precipitation days = 3.8 | Aug precipitation days = 6.5 | Sep precipitation days = 9.9 | Oct precipitation days = 14.6 | Nov precipitation days = 16.3 | Dec precipitation days = 14.6 | year precipitation days = 145.9 | source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230916224052/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tanzania/CSV/BUKOBA_63729.csv | archive-date = 16 September 2023 | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tanzania/CSV/BUKOBA_63729.csv | title = Bukoba Climate Normals 1991–2020 | work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020) | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = 16 September 2023}}</ref> | date = June 2018 }}

{{Weather box|width = auto |location = Bukoba |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |temperature colour = pastel |Jan record high C = 30.6 |Feb record high C = 31.0 |Mar record high C = 31.4 |Apr record high C = 31.1 |May record high C = 30.1 |Jun record high C = 31.1 |Jul record high C = 30.6 |Aug record high C = 28.9 |Sep record high C = 30.0 |Oct record high C = 29.6 |Nov record high C = 30.2 |Dec record high C = 30.3 |year record high C = 31.4 |Jan high C = 26.5 |Feb high C = 26.6 |Mar high C = 26.2 |Apr high C = 25.8 |May high C = 25.6 |Jun high C = 25.7 |Jul high C = 25.4 |Aug high C = 25.5 |Sep high C = 25.9 |Oct high C = 26.5 |Nov high C = 26.2 |Dec high C = 26.3 |year high C = 26.0 |Jan mean C = 21.3 |Feb mean C = 21.4 |Mar mean C = 21.3 |Apr mean C = 21.3 |May mean C = 21.2 |Jun mean C = 20.8 |Jul mean C = 20.3 |Aug mean C = 20.4 |Sep mean C = 20.8 |Oct mean C = 21.3 |Nov mean C = 20.9 |Dec mean C = 20.6 |year mean C = 20.9 |Jan low C = 16.1 |Feb low C = 16.2 |Mar low C = 16.3 |Apr low C = 16.8 |May low C = 16.7 |Jun low C = 15.9 |Jul low C = 15.2 |Aug low C = 15.5 |Sep low C = 15.7 |Oct low C = 16.2 |Nov low C = 15.5 |Dec low C = 15.0 |year low C = 15.9 |Jan record low C = 11.1 |Feb record low C = 11.7 |Mar record low C = 10.6 |Apr record low C = 10.6 |May record low C = 10.0 |Jun record low C = 12.2 |Jul record low C = 10.6 |Aug record low C = 10.0 |Sep record low C = 10.9 |Oct record low C = 10.6 |Nov record low C = 11.1 |Dec record low C = 12.8 |year record low C = 10.0 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 154 |Feb precipitation mm = 173 |Mar precipitation mm = 253 |Apr precipitation mm = 367 |May precipitation mm = 304 |Jun precipitation mm = 84 |Jul precipitation mm = 51 |Aug precipitation mm = 71 |Sep precipitation mm = 98 |Oct precipitation mm = 170 |Nov precipitation mm = 209 |Dec precipitation mm = 208 |year precipitation mm = 2144 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 13 |Feb precipitation days = 13 |Mar precipitation days = 18 |Apr precipitation days = 20 |May precipitation days = 17 |Jun precipitation days = 6 |Jul precipitation days = 5 |Aug precipitation days = 8 |Sep precipitation days = 10 |Oct precipitation days = 15 |Nov precipitation days = 18 |Dec precipitation days = 16 |year precipitation days = 158 |Jan humidity = 79 |Feb humidity = 79 |Mar humidity = 79 |Apr humidity = 80 |May humidity = 80 |Jun humidity = 77 |Jul humidity = 75 |Aug humidity = 78 |Sep humidity = 78 |Oct humidity = 77 |Nov humidity = 79 |Dec humidity = 78 |year humidity = 78 |source 1 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]]<ref name = DWD>{{cite web | url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_637290_kt.pdf | title = Klimatafel von Bukoba / Tansania | work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world | publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst | language = German | accessdate = 22 May 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190419202623/https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_637290_kt.pdf | archive-date = 19 April 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> }}

== Sister cities == *{{Flagdeco|Denmark}} [[Nykøbing Mors]]

==Gallery== <gallery mode="packed" heights="134"> Mater Misericordiae Church - Bukoba.JPG|The Mater Misericordiae Church. MV Victoria.jpg|MV Victoria (1959) at Port of Bukoba

Bukoba 0817 .jpg|Street in Bukoba </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Bukoba}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050411171943/http://www.kagera.org/ Official Bukoba webguide]

[[Category:Bukoba| ]] [[Category:Populated places in Kagera Region]] [[Category:Regional capitals in Tanzania]] [[Category:Populated places on Lake Victoria]] [[Category:Cities in the Great Rift Valley]]