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Uganda

Uganda,[b] officially the Republic of Uganda,[c] is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region, lies within the Nile basin, and has a varied but generally modified equatorial climate. As of 2023, it has a population of around 49.6 million, of which 8.5 million live in the capital and largest city of Kampala.

For other uses, see Uganda (disambiguation).

Republic of Uganda[1]
Jamhuri ya Uganda (Swahili)
Official Name in Local Languages[a]

Lipabuliika ya Uganda[2]

Lipabuliika ya Uganda[2]

Uganda Eryetwala[3]

Linambo lya Uganda[4]

Unitary dominant-party presidential republic

9 October 1962

9 October 1963

8 October 1995

241,038 km2 (93,065 sq mi) (79th)

15.39

47,729,952[7] (31st)

157.1/km2 (406.9/sq mi) (75th)

2023 estimate

Increase $145.157 billion[8] (88th)

Increase $3,222[8] (172nd)

2023 estimate

Increase $52.390 billion[8] (90th)

Increase $1,163[8] (196th)

Negative increase 42.0[9]
medium

Increase 0.550[10]
medium (159th)

UTC+3 (EAT)

Uganda is named after the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country, including the capital Kampala, and whose language Luganda is widely spoken throughout the country. From 1894, the area was ruled as a protectorate by the United Kingdom, which established administrative law across the territory. Uganda gained independence from the UK on 9 October 1962. The period since then has been marked by violent conflicts, including an eight-year-long military dictatorship led by Idi Amin.


The official language is English, although the Constitution states that "any other language may be used as a medium of instruction in schools or other educational institutions or for legislative, administrative, or judicial purposes as may be prescribed by law." Luganda, a central region-based language, is widely spoken across the Central and South Eastern regions of the country, and several other languages are also spoken including Ateso, Lango, Acholi, Runyoro, Runyankole, Rukiga, Luo, Rutooro, Samia, Jopadhola, and Lusoga. In 2005 Swahili, which is foreign and so viewed as being neutral, was proposed as Uganda's second official language, but this has yet to be ratified by parliament. However, in 2022 Uganda decided to make Swahili a mandatory subject in the school curriculum.


Uganda's current president is Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who took power in January 1986 after a protracted six-year guerrilla war. Following constitutional amendments that removed term limits for the president, he was able to stand and was elected president in the 2011, 2016 and 2021 general elections.

The abolition of independent public service commissions for federal units. This removed the Kabaka's authority to appoint civil servants in Buganda.

The abolition of the Buganda High Court – removing any judicial authority the Kabaka had.

The bringing of Buganda financial management under further central control.

Abolition of lands for Buganda chiefs. Land is one of the key sources of Kabaka's power over his subjects.

Science and technology

The National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy dates from 2009. Its overarching goal is to 'strengthen national capability to generate, transfer and apply scientific knowledge, skills and technologies that ensure sustainable utilization of natural resources for the realisation of Uganda's development objectives.' The policy precedes Uganda Vision 2040, which was launched in April 2013 to transform 'Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years,' in the words of the Cabinet. Uganda Vision 2040 vows to strengthen the private sector, improve education and training, modernize infrastructure and the underdeveloped services and agriculture sectors, foster industrialization and promote good governance, among other goals. Potential areas for economic development include oil and gas, tourism, minerals and information and communication technologies (ICTs).[207]


Uganda was ranked 121st in the Global Innovation Index in 2023, down from 102nd in 2019.[208][209][210] Research funding climbed between 2008 and 2010 from 0.33% to 0.48% of GDP. Over the same period, the number of researchers doubled (in head counts) from 1 387 to 2 823, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. This represents a leap from 44 to 83 researchers per million inhabitants over the same period. One in four researchers is a woman. Uganda has been able to manufacture prototype of cars called kiira in which the government invested US$70.[207]

New Vision

Daily Monitor

Bukedde

The Observer

East African Business Week

Red Pepper

Index of Uganda-related articles

Outline of Uganda

Railway stations in Uganda

from UCB Libraries GovPubs.

Uganda

from BBC News.

Country Profile

from the Business Anti-Corruption Portal

Uganda Corruption Profile

at Curlie

Uganda