Butiaba
Butiaba, is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is a fishing town and landing site on the shores of Lake Albert, in Uganda.
Location
Butiaba is located on the eastern shores of Lake [Albert (Africa)|Lake Albert], in Buliisa District, in the Bunyoro sub-region of Western Uganda. Butiaba is approximately, by road, southwest of the district headquarters at Buliisa. Butiaba is located about north of Hoima, the largest city in the Bunyoro sub-region.This location is approximately, by road, northwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The coordinates of Butiaba are:1°49'08.0"N, 31°19'33.0"E. Butiaba is situated at an average altitude of above mean sea level.
Overview
During the first half of the 20th century, Butiaba was an important transportation hub, where merchandise from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and from South Sudan was transported by boat across Lake Albert to Butiaba Harbour. At Butiaba, merchandise was transported overland, through Masindi to Masindi Port. At Masindi Port, the produce would be loaded on barges, ferried across Lake Kyoga to Soroti. At Soroti, it would be loaded onto railway wagons for transportation by rail to Mombasa, Kenya, on the Indian Ocean, for export. Imported goods and merchandise were transported along the same route, in reverse.When the East African Railways Corporation was dissolved in the 1970s, Butiaba's prominence declined and the harbour became dormant. A significant amount of petroleum deposits has since been discovered in the ground and under the lake near Butiaba. Reviving Butiaba Harbour to play a role in the transportation of equipment, manpower, and petroleum is being considered.