Kitagata Hot Springs

The Kitagata Hot Springs (also known as the Mulago Hot Springs, as the two are adjacent) are natural hot springs. Their formation comes from dynamic geological forces. Uganda lies within the western branch of the East African Rift Valley system, a tectonic fault line where the Earth’s crust is slowly tearing apart. This geological activity has created deep fractures and fissures that penetrate far into the Earth’s interior. Groundwater, percolating through these cracks, eventually reaches depths where it comes into contact with superheated rocks. The primary source of heat for Kitagata, like many geothermal springs, is the incredibly high geothermal gradient present at these depths; essentially, the deeper you go, the hotter it gets due to residual heat from the Earth's formation and ongoing radioactive decay. The springs are additionally fed by the River Ngaro Mwenda.