Mbarara City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda . It is the main municipal , administrative , and commercial center of Mbarara District and the site of the district headquarters . Mbarara is an important transport hub , lying west of Masaka on the road to Kabale , near Lake Mburo National Park . This is about 270 kilometers ( 168 mi ) , by road , southwest of Kampala , Uganda's capital and oldest city . The coordinates of the Mbarara central business district are 00 36 48S , 30 39 30E ( Latitude : -0.6132 ; Longitude : 30.6582 ) . [ 6 ] The city lies at an average elevation of about 1,147 meters ( 3,763 ft ) above sea level