Tororo


Tororo is a town in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Tororo District. There are many shops, banks, supermarkets here. Tororo is a trading hub where many people come from the surrounding villages to work. There are a number of ATM's around town with one at Absa Bank accepting all major cards. MTN and Airtel mobile agents are throughout the town.

History

Tororo was garrisoned by the Uganda Army's Air and Sea Battalion during the Uganda–Tanzania War. On 2 March 1979, rebels loyal to Milton Obote attacked the town, whereupon part of the garrison defected while the rest was routed. Tororo was recaptured by the Uganda Army in a counter-attack two days later, though many local civilians were displaced by the fighting. A few weeks later, however, Amin's rule throughout Uganda collapsed and the garrison of Tororo mutinied yet again. This time, the remaining Amin loyalists were in no position to launch a counter-attack, and the mutineers subsequently handed over Tororo to the Uganda National Liberation Army.
Tororo was captured by the National Resistance Army in early February 1986 during the Ugandan Bush War. The UNLA counter-attacked in an attempt to retake Tororo and turn the tide in the war, but was repelled.

Location

The town is approximately west of the town of Malaba at the border between Uganda and Kenya. This is approximately, by road, east of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The geographical coordinates of the town are 0°41'34.0"N, 34°10'54.0"E. Tororo town lies at an average elevation of above sea level.

Population

In 2002, the national census put the population of the town of Tororo at about 34,800. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimated the population at 42,500. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 43,700. The 2014 national population census put the population at 41,906.

Industry

Tororo has a major cement works, Tororo Cement Limited, that in 2007, because of power shortages, could produce only 19,000 metric tonnes of cement daily against an installed capacity of 35,000 metric tonnes.
Tororo has National cement company Uganda Limited, inaugurated in August 2018 and producing 2000 metric tonnes daily.
It is also home to SEBA Foods, a food factory that was officially opened by the president of Uganda on 25 June 2010.
Electromaxx Limited constructed a 20 megawatt thermal plant, Tororo Power Station, that was commissioned in June 2010.
Tororo is also the location of Nilefos Minerals Limited, a subsidiary of the Madhvani Group of companies. Nilefos mines and processes phosphates for use in fertilizer and related industries.
There are a couple of new factories being constructed on the outskirts of the town. One factory is on the way Busia is being built by a Chinese company.

Transport

Transport in and out of the town is well served by Matatus. There are stages for Mbale near the shell garage, Jinja on Jinja road just past the roundabout.
Within town, Boda Bodas are used for most journeys. These are cheap but not safe or regulated, caution should be used when travelling after rain or after dark. Journeys in and around town should cost between 500/= and 2,000/=.

Rail transport

Tororo marks the junction of railway lines to Pakwach, via Soroti, and to Kasese, via Kampala. Since 1993, the metre gauge line from Tororo Junction to Gulu and Pakwach has been out of use.
Rift Valley Railways funded the clearing of the line east to Gulu of vegetation and repairing track and bridges, thus allowing the first commercial train for 20 years to run through on the metre gauge track from the Kenyan port of Mombasa through Nairobi and Eldoret to the Kenyan frontier in Tororo and onwards to Gulu on the line to Pakwach on 14 September 2013.

Climate and weather

Tororo has a tropical monsoon climate with a short dry season The average annual temperature is . Average annual precipitation is. Tororo has many thunderstorms and may be the place where thunder occurs on more days than any other place on Earth. From September to December there is rain most days in the late afternoon. The drier and hotter season starts in December.

Points of interest

The following additional points of interest lie within the town limits or near its edges:
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