Introduction to Uganda

Uganda is a country whose beauty will continue to surprise you! Named the Pearl of Africa by Winston Churchill, Ugandas magnificent scenery includes snow-capped mountains, rolling plains, thick tropical forests, as well as semidesert areas. It is a landlocked country in East Africa, sharing borders with Kenya, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). Uganda lies astride the Equator covering an area of about 240,000 square kilometres, between the two East African Great Rift Valleys. Capital: Kampala Major Towns: Jinja, Entebbe, Masaka, Mbarara, Mbale, Fort Portal, Soroti, Lira and Gulu, among others. Entebbe is the countrys International airport town. There are 56 administrative districts or towns throughout the country. Population: In 2007, the estimated population of Uganda is 28 million. Languages: Although English is the official language, it is a second language for most Ugandans. Over 33 native languages are spoken in different parts of the country. The most common is Luganda (spoken in Tekera). English is also the language of instruction from primary school up to university. Currency: The local currency is the Ugandan shilling. At the time of writing, a Canadian dollar bought roughly 1650 UGX, a US dollar bought 1650 UGX, a euro 2400 UGX. Natural resources: copper, cobalt, hydropower, oil, limestone, salt and timber. Most of the land is used for arable farming. Agriculture is the backbone of the Ugandan economy. Main exports: coffee, cotton, tea, fish and fish products, tobacco, maize, beans, pyrethrum and vanilla. Climate: Although Uganda is situated on the equator the relatively high altitude tempers the heat, and humidity is usually low. Day temperatures range between 25C and 34C. The hottest month is January. There are two rainy seasons, the long rains from late February to the end of May, and the short rains from October to middle of December. The area around Lake Victoria receives rain almost any time of year. The vegetation ranges from thick rainforests, to grasslands, high altitude moorland, arid savanna and marshy wetlands. Daylight: Being on the equator, Uganda has an almost constant 12 hours of daylight, sunrise at 06:30 and sunset at 1845. Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) plus 2 hours. International dialing code: +256

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Some aspects of Ugandas cultures

Although Uganda is a relatively small country, with an area about the size of the UK or Ghana, the country boasts a population that is very rich in diversity, cultures and languages. Uganda is divided into 45 districts; however, the six main cooperating districts are Acholi, Lango, Bunyoro, Buganda, Busoga and Ankole. The countrys name Uganda came from the ancient kingdom of Buganda. While the people in Southern Uganda largely belong to one language, the Bantu speakers (also found in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, all the way to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa), the people in the North have three language groups (also found in Dem. Rep. of Congo, Sudan and Kenya). These are Sudanic, Western Nilotic and Eastern Nilotic groups of languages. The Bantu speakers make up 50% of Ugandas total population and can be found in the districts of Kampala, Mpigi, Mukono, Masaka, Kalangala, Kiboga, Rakai, and Mubende. Bantu-speakers make up the following languages and dialects: Luganda, Lusoga, Runyoro, Runyankole, Rutooro, Rukiga, Rukonjo, Rwanba, Runyarwanda, Lumasaba, Lunyole, Lugwe, Lugwere, Ruruli, Rugungu, Lukenyi, as well as other smaller dialects. Ugandans are warm, friendly and full of humour, despite their traumatic history. They are anxious to make friends with visitors and will go to great lengths to ensure you are comfortable and enjoying yourself. A popular Bantu proverb is Omusajja gyagenda gyasanga banne, literally meaning, Wherever a man goes he will find friendly people. Music and dance in many areas reflect the geographical and economic environment of the people. For example, the pastoral people emphasize cattle in their music and occasionally imitate cattle in their dances, whereas traditional hunters reflect the various sounds of birds and different animals in their music. Ugandan traditional attire consists of a queens (long tunic) for the men, which is of Arabic origin and the busuti for women. The busuti is an elegant dress covering practically the entire body and is completed by a large embroidered belt worn around the waist. In Western Uganda, the women also wear a large coloured piece of cloth, known as the kitambi under a long dress and cover themselves with another large piece of cloth on top. Otherwise, modern or Western modes of dressing are the most common in Uganda. There are common foods throughout most parts of Uganda, such as millet, sorghum, beans, groundnut, sweet potatoes, cassava and maize. Green bananas, known as Matooke, and sometimes referred to as the national dish of Uganda, are predominantly grown in the south. Traditionally, Ugandans eat with their right hand (the left being reserved for hygiene purposes). They use matooke and/or millet, rolling it into a ball or mashing it

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to pick up the food. Utensils are also used and can be found in most homes and restaurants.

History of Uganda
The Coles Notes version Between 1650 and 1850 rivalry existed between the kingdoms of BunyoroKitara, Buganda and Ankole, in the form of cattle raiding and attempts to acquire more territory. By the mid-19th century, the Buganda, Akole and Toro kingdoms occupied the majority of the country, reducing the once powerful kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara to a quarter of its original size. The 19th century also saw the arrival of different groups of foreigners, namely the Arab traders in 1852 and the first Europeans in 1862. Foreign influence led to religious rivalry Arab traders Islamic faith, French Catholics and British Protestants each eager to get their hands on the fertile kingdom of Buganda. In 1893 Sir Gerald Portal arrived in Kampala and raised the Union Jack over Old Kampala Hill. Unwillingly, Mwanga, the king of Buganda signed a formal treaty with Portal, giving Britain freehold land rights in return for British protection to Bugandas chiefs. British rule began in 1900 and continued for the next 62 years. Uganda gained independence on October 9th, 1962, which was led by the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) under Milton Obote leadership. The first Obote government ruled from 1962 till 1971. Idi Amins reign of terror extended from 1971 to 1979 - murdering 2000 of the Kabaka Buganda supporters; expelling all Asians from Uganda and taking over their businesses and possessions; purging the army of Acholi and Langi soldiers; killing 8 Obote cabinet ministers, and torturing to death about 300,000 Ugandans. Amins unpopularity with his own people was growing and in 1978 when he overreached himself by declaring war on Tanzania, many Ugandan exiles joined forces with Tanzania driving him into exile in Saudi Arabia. The preceding seven years Uganda continued in a downward spiral. The elections were rife with corruption and intimidation and despite the overwhelming evidence that the elections had been rigged; the Obote government was once again triumphant. Other political parties, including Museveni who formed the National Resistance Movement (NRM), opposed the results, which led to massive guerilla warfare against Obotes government. Obote responded by killing civilians by the thousands, exceeding even Amins terror. In July 1985, Tito Okello, commander of the army, took over the government in a military coup, and for the second time Obote was forced out of office by his own army. At this time, the NRM tried negotiating with Okello during talks in Nairobi, but was unsuccessful and returned to the bush. On January 26, 1986, the NRM besieged Kampala, Okello surrendered and Museveni became the new President of Uganda, a country which was worn out and had been brutalized for many years. The Social Origins of Violence in Uganda by Prof. Kasozi provides a detailed account of the nature and practice of violence in Uganda between 1964 and 1985. More than one million Ugandans faced violent deaths and other
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violations of human rights, invoke for political purposes. There are also those uncounted and unrecorded victims who died, and are still dying, from the legacy of violence caused by the breakdown of the social fabric and structures that formerly supported Ugandan society (Kasozi, 1994, 5). According to Kasozi, the conditions that led to the Ugandan holocaust include: social inequality, substates, the failure to create a central political institution and mechanisms for conflict resolution, ethnic and religious factionalism, class divisions, decrease in national production, poorly educated leaders and the absence of a common language (6-11). Those scars are found in every facet of life in Uganda, but the people and the country are taking steps in the right direction. Peace and stability are returning to Uganda, and the Pearl of Africa is regaining its luster!

Some basic phrases in Luganda

When greeting: A. Wasuze otyano Ssebo/Nnyabo Good morning Sir/Madam (How was the night? literally) B. Olyota How are you? Response Jendi (stress the en) Im fine C. Osiibye otyanno Ssebo/Nnyabo Good afternoon Sir/Madam D. Bulungi Ssebo, gwe osiibye otyanno Ssebo/Nnyabo? Fine, and how are you Sir/Madam? E. Bulungi Ssebo/Nnyabo Fine Sir/Madam F. Abeeka bali batya? How is everyone at home? G. Weebale emirimu Thank you for the work you do. H. Kale Ssebo/Nnyabo. Okay Sir/Madam Of course you may not greet everyone in town, but in rural areas greeting is a rule, and it is very impolite not to do so. Introductions: Nze Karen Mbeera Tekera Nsoma Nkola Mbeera ne - I am called Karen - I stay/live in Tekera - I am a student / I am still studying - I work - I stay with .

The N before the verb represents the first person singular - I. The vowel sounds are the same as the French a, e, i, o, u. Some civilities Goodbye See you again tomorrow Please help me Thank you very much Forgive me At the market: - Weeraba / Mweraba (more than one) - Tunaalabagana enkya - Nyambaako - Weebale / Mwebale nnyo (more than one) - Nsonyiwa or Munsonyiwe (more than one)

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Passion fruit Oranges Cabbage Potatoes Onions Tomatoes Carrots Pepper Eggplant Cassava Limes Mangoes Bananas (ripe) Pineapples Sugarcane How much are these? (price) How much is this?

- Butunda - Micungwa - Mboga - Lumonde - Butungulu - Nyaanya - Kaloti - Kaamulali - Bbiringanya - Muwogo - Nniimu - Miyembe - Mmenvu - Ennaanansi - Kikajjo - Bino bya ssente mmeka? - Kino kya ssente mmeka?

You can always add the name of the exact item. - Mbirizi - Nkoko - Nnyama yente - Nyama yambizzi Pork - Mbuzi or Nyama ya mbuzi - Kibumba - Njagalayo - ne - menu - Sooda - Sooda anyogoga - Butunda - Micungwa - Majaani - Kaawa (almost always instant) - Mata - Mazzi - Muceere - Supageti or Makoloni - Munnyo - Mulinayo mmere ki? - Tulinayo - Sirya nnyama - Ommanja mmeka?

At the butcher Ribs Chicken Beef Pork Goat meat Liver At the restaurant I would like And also The menu Soda Cold soda Passion fruit juice Orange juice Tea Coffee Milk Water Rice Spaghetti Salt What is there to eat? We have I do not eat meat How much do I owe?

Compiled by Karen Zucchiatti, Canada