Kitagata Hot Springs

Kitagata Hot Springs are natural hot springs in Uganda.

Location

The hot springs are located in Sheema County, Sheema District, Western Uganda. This location is approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi), by road, east of Kitagata, one of the urban centers in the district. This location lies approximately 72 kilometres (45 mi), by road, west of Mbarara, the largest city in the sub-region.[1] The approximate coordinates of Kitagata Hot Springs are:0° 40' 23"S, 30° 9' 29"E (Latitude:0.6730; Longitude:30.1580). The coordinates are approximate because the hot springs do not yet appear on most publicly available maps.

Overview

There are two hot springs adjacent to each other. According the locals, one of the springs was used by the former Omugabe (King of Ankole) and is known as Ekyomugabe. The other spring is believed to have healing powers and is known as Mulago, after Uganda's largest National Referral Hospital.[2]

On arrival to the site one will notice semi-nude men and women bathing in the warm waters Kitagata Mulago, the one believed to possess healing powers. Many people bathe in the waters of Kitagata Mulago, sometimes as many as 200 in a twenty-four hour period. The water in the springs can warm up to 80 °C (176 °F).[3]

The road to this place is marrum and is located near a large swamp. The scenery to the site is breath taking with conical hills and inselbergs characterized with beautiful green vegetation of trees and grass. During the rainy season, River Ngaromwenda, the river that supplies water to the springs floods thereby causing the kitagata springs to be rather warm other than hot.[4]

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See also

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References

Coordinates: 00°40′23″S 30°09′29″E / 0.67306°S 30.15806°E