Shortly after 1890, when Lord Lugard established a British East African Company base in Kampala , Uganda became a British Protectorate. It consisted of four old African Kingdoms, named: Buganda , Bunyoro, Toro and Ankole. The Uganda Railway linked the interior to the coast.

The system of indirect rule gave Uganda greater autonomy than elsewhere in British-ruled Africa . Upon gaining its independence from Britain in 1962, Uganda was a prosperous and peaceful country.

It went through a turbulent period after Idi Amin seized control in 1971 and began a regime of terror, expelling Asians and other ethnic groups. In 1986, the National Resistance Movement, led by Yoweri Museveni, took control of the country. Today, the country is largely progressive, peaceful and inviting, and shares border with Rwanda , Sudan , Kenya , Tanzania and Congo . The four old Kingdoms, abolished in the 1960’s were restored in 1993 and the monarchs have now re-emerged as symbols of traditional society.

UGANDA , the Beautiful Country
Uganda ’s most alluring features are its forests, lakes and mountains.  Uganda has tree mountains areas: The Rewnzoris, Mount Elgon and Virunga volcanoes.

Wildlife.
Wildlife has steadily increased in recent years, and many species of game can now be found in Uganda . Game viewing in Uganda generally remains free of the mass tourism that now exists in many neighbouring countries.  Primates, especially the mountain gorilla and the chimpanzees, are Uganda special attractions, together with more than a thousand species of birds.

UGANDA , a Fertile Land
Most parts of Uganda are well watered and fertile. Although Uganda is situated close to equator, its climate is tempered by its relatively lofty altitude. The Nile starts its long journey to the Mediterranean Sea from Lake Victoria, the greatest lake in Africa .

Kampala , City of Seven Hills.
Kampala , the modern capital, is the centre of Uganda ’s cultural and economic activities. The city has undergone a great transformation in the last two decades.

Now the town is the thriving capital of one of the most rapidly developing countries in Africa .

It has steadily being rebuilt and the city infrastructure has been restored. New office towers, hotels, centres and shopping malls are appearing on an almost monthly basis.

Kampala is said to be built on seven hills. But the city is centred on just one of them, Nakasero. The top half of the hill is a garden city consisting of wide, quiet avenues lined with large houses, set behind imposing fences. The bottom half of the hill is a completely different world, teeming with shops, small businesses, budget hotels, cheap restaurants, street markets, Hindu temples, bus stations and taxi parks. The streets in this area overflow with people, battered old cars, lottery ticket sellers and pavement stalls offering everything from rubber stamps to radio repairs.

A Culturally Diverse People
Uganda ’s population of approximately 26 million is largely Christian, but there are a sizable Muslim and Animist communities. More than 30 languages are  spoken, with English, Luganda and Swahili being the most widely used.

Travel and Communication
Travel within the country is mostly by public commuter mini-buses, taxi cabs and self-drive cars. However, in and around towns and semi-urban settlements, the most convenient means of travel is the motor-cycle taxi, commonly referred as “boda-boda”. Though they will easily help to beat the heavy traffic, they are quite dangerous, as most riders are either careless or flout traffic rules easily. There are also regular scheduled and non-scheduled international flights and long distance busses.

The main communication network in the country consists of three major telephone operators. The mobile network reaches almost every part of Uganda . Internet facilities are also cheap and wide spread, especially in the cities and other urban centres. However, in rural areas the network coverage is limited.

Weather.
Since Uganda is a relative compact country, the range of temperature is not so great, generally ranging between 21 – 30 degrees Celsius in most places. The rain season generally last from March through May, with a shorter rainy season occurring in October and November.

In the mountains the temperature can fall much lower, particularly at night. The rain season can sometimes make travel slightly difficult.