The Pearl of Africa

The History of Uganda

When the first European explorers arrived in mid-19th century, Uganda was split divided into three kingdoms, each with its own laws, customs and history. In 1894, Britain made Uganda a protectorate, imposing imported religious, governmental and social systems on the local populations, many of which still exist today.

On October 9th, 1962, The Republic of Uganda declared independence with Milton Obote as the prime minister. In 1966, Obote staged a coup and became dictator. A few years later while Obote was in Singapore, Major General Idi Amin, the commander of Uganda's army, took power with massive national support. Amin became one of the worst tyrants of the 20th century. He ripped apart the economy by expelling Asians from Uganda and was involved with as many as 300,000 murders.

Amin invaded Tanzania in October 1978 in a badly calculated attempt to distract attention from the situation in Uganda. Tanzanian forces retaliated and Amin fled the country in 1979. Amin died in 2003, never having been brought to justice for his crimes.

read more...

About Ugandans

Uganda is famously warm and friendly, with a population of over 32 million; half is under age 15. Most are Christian (41.9% Roman Catholic, 42% Protestant) with a Muslim minority of 12.1%. Only about 1% follows traditional religions such as animism. 13% of the total population lives in cities with a 4.4% annual rate of urbanisation, contributing to the growing problems of the informal urban settlements, or slums. Ugandans also face diseases such as dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid malaria, plague, and sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis).

With hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring countries added to the wide array of traditions and languages from Uganda, the country is a patchwork of Eastern African culture. Ugandans are generally very open and proud of their native tribe and they enjoy expressing their political views, possibly because it is a newly acquired freedom.

English is widely spoken throughout the country, and especially in Kampala. Local languages include Luganda and Ganda, and many Swahili words are used. A few words to know are mzungu (foreigner), matatu (bus), and boda bodas (motorcycle taxis, who originally travelled from border to border). Most local languages do not have translations for words such as please and thank you, and instead relay these sentiments by intonation. As a result, Ugandans often omit these words in English. Try not to mistake this for bad manners or rudeness.

Uganda's Geography

Uganda is a tropical country located west of Kenya in Eastern Africa on the equator, landlocked by Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Sudan. Most of the country sits on a plateau, with Mt. Elgon in the east and the Rwenzori Mountains in the west. Expect temperatures in the high 20s°C during the day and mid-teens at night. The dry seasons are generally December - February and June - August, where temperatures may reach 30°C.

There are many national parks in Uganda, where you can see rampant wildlife, despite widespread poaching. Kampala, the capital city, sits next to Lake Victoria - the largest lake in Africa and the source of the Nile River.

The Ugandan environment now faces serious problems such as draining of the wetlands for agricultural use, deforestation causing landslides, overgrazing and soil erosion.

Uganda's Economy

Uganda has substantial natural resources, with very fertile soils and regular rainfall. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy and over 80% of the work force. Uganda's main export is coffee. Over the past two decades, the Museveni government has tried to has rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages.

The City of Seven Hills

Kampala, the capital of Uganda, sits on top of seven hills where the Kabaka of Buganda would hunt the impala antelope (ka'empala means hill of the impalas). The city is relatively modern and safe, where you can find shopping malls, cinemas, supermarkets and most other amenities that you would have at home. Still, the bustling markets, sprawling slums and the streets overflowing with people, cars, and boda bodas remind you that you are in the heart of Africa.

Kampala is used as a base for many large organisations around Eastern Africa, making it a cosmopolitan centre with diverse groups of residents and travelers from all walks of life. This fuels the city's nightlife with an abundance of restaurants, bars and clubs.

The History of Uganda

Obote stole the elections after the war and became Prime Minister. He declared himself dictator once again while his army looted, raped and murdered. Meanwhile, a resistance fighter, Yoweri Museveni, started the National Resistance Army (NRA), sweeping the country and capturing territory. In early 1986, they took control over the capital and Museveni was sworn in as President of Uganda. Obote died in South Africa in 2005.

Since 1987, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony, has carried out widespread abduction of children as child soldiers and sex slaves. The LRA left Uganda in 2005; however, they still are active in the Democratic Republic of Congo and have committed atrocities such as the 2008 Christmas Massacres in Congo.

Uganda prospered throughout the 1990s, with economic growth, reinstated freedom of speech and press, and relative stability. However, there are many allegations of election rigging and corruption, and the country remains deeply scarred by its dark past. In 2005, Parliament voted to lift presidential term limits, allowing Museveni to be reelected with 59.3% of votes. The next elections are scheduled for February 2011.