Luzira | |
|---|---|
  Luzira Location in Kampala | |
| Coordinates:00°18′06″N32°38′42″E / 0.30167°N 32.64500°E /0.30167; 32.64500 | |
| Country |  Uganda |
| Region | Central Uganda |
| District | Kampala Capital City Authority |
| Division | Nakawa Division |
| Elevation | 3,740 ft (1,140 m) |
Luzira is a suburb ofKampala, the capital ofUganda. It is best known for the country's main prison,Luzira Maximum Security Prison, which has seen significant redevelopment thanks to the work ofAfrican Prisons Project, a charity based in the UK and Kampala.[1]
Luzira lies inNakawa Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala. It is located approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), by road, southeast of thecentral business district of Kampala.[2] It is bordered byButabika to the north,Mutungo andKitintale to the northwest,Mpanga to the west,Port Bell to the south and an inlet ofLake Victoria to the east.[3] The coordinates of Luzira are:0°18'06.0"N, 32°38'42.0"E (Latitude:0.301667; Longitude:32.644999).[4]
Luzira is the name that the indigenousBaganda use to refer to the general neighborhood.Port Bell is the area where the landing pier is situated, at the tip of the peninsular into Lake Victoria, in the most southern part of the general Luzira neighborhood.Mpanga is the location of Uganda's maximum security prison, located in the western part of the general Luzira neighborhood. The central part of Luzira is mainly an industrial park, where most of the factories are located. The eastern part of Luzira township is mainly a middle-class residential neighborhood.[3] Prehistoric artifacts dating back to around 1000 AD, have been uncovered at the site where the maximum security prison is located. This includes the famousLuzira Head, which is currently housed in theBritish Museum.[5]
The prison, the largest penal institution in Uganda was designed with capacity of 1,700 inmates, but often houses close to 8,000.[6] On 27 August 2014, the day of the 2014 national population census, the prison housed 6,336 people; 3, 373 were in the Luzira Upper Prison, 1,495 were in Murchison Bay Prison, and Kampala Remand Prison had 1, 040 inmates. The Luzira Women's Prison had 400 inmates and 28 children.[7]
The following points of interest are found inside or near Luzira:
00°18′06″N32°38′42″E / 0.30167°N 32.64500°E /0.30167; 32.64500
