Uganda

• tropical;
• generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August);
• semiarid in northeast

fresh water lake(s):

• Lake Victoria (shared with Tanzania and Kenya) - 62,940 sq km;
• Lake Albert (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 5,590 sq km;
• Lake Kyoga - 4,430 sq km;
• Lake Edward (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,150 sq km

• population density is relatively high in comparison to other African nations;
• most of the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country, particularly along the shores of Lake Victoria and Lake Albert;
• the northeast is least populated, as shown in this population distribution map

• droughts;
• floods;
• earthquakes;
• landslides;
• hailstorms

• landlocked;
• fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers;
• Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake and second-largest freshwater lake, is shared among three countries:
  • Kenya,
  • Tanzania,
  • and Uganda

noun:

Ugandan(s)

adjective:

Ugandan

total:

16.4 years (2025 est.)

male:

15.5 years

female:

17.1 years

• population density is relatively high in comparison to other African nations;
• most of the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country, particularly along the shores of Lake Victoria and Lake Albert;
• the northeast is least populated, as shown in this population distribution map

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.74 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

31.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

25.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

69.7 years (2024 est.)

male:

67.5 years

female:

72 years

total:

6.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

5.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

4.5% (2025 est.)

male:

7.8% (2025 est.)

female:

1.5% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

7.3% (2016)

women married by age 18:

34% (2016)

men married by age 18:

5.5% (2016)

• draining of wetlands for agricultural use;
• deforestation;
• overgrazing;
• soil erosion;
• water pollution from industrial discharge and water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria;
• widespread poaching

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Environmental Modification

• tropical;
• generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August);
• semiarid in northeast

urban population:

26.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

5.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

7.045 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

24.1% (2022 est.)

municipal:

328 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

50 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

259 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Uganda

conventional short form:

Uganda

etymology:

the name is derived from the Swahili word u , meaning "land" or "country," and the Ganda people; the origin of the Ganda name is unclear

name:

Kampala

geographic coordinates:

0 19 N, 32 33 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the name is said to come from an African antelope, the impala

history:

several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1995, promulgated 8 October 1995

amendment process:

• proposed by the National Assembly;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership in the second and third readings;
• proposals affecting "entrenched clauses," including the sovereignty of the people, supremacy of the constitution, human rights and freedoms, the democratic and multiparty form of government, presidential term of office, independence of the judiciary, and the institutions of traditional or cultural leaders, also requires passage by referendum, ratification by at least two-thirds majority vote of district council members in at least two thirds of Uganda's districts, and assent of the president of the republic

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent or grandparent must be a native-born citizen of Uganda

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

an aggregate of 20 years and continuously for the last 2 years prior to applying for citizenship

chief of state:

President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 26 January 1986)

head of government:

Prime Minister Robinah NABBANJA (since 14 June 2021)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected members of Parliament or persons who qualify to be elected as members of Parliament

election/appointment process:

president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits)

most recent election date:

14 January 2021

election results:

• 2021: Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round;
• percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 58.6%, Robert Kyagulanyi SSENTAMU (aka Bobi WINE) (NUP) 34.8%, Patrick Oboi AMURIAT (FDC) 3.2%, other 3.4%

expected date of next election:

2026

legislature name:

Parliament

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

529 (499 directly elected; 30 indirectly elected)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

1/14/2021 to 1/18/2021

parties elected and seats per party:

• National Resistance Movement (NRM) (336);
• National Unity Platform (NUP) (57);
• Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) (32);
• Independents (74);
• Other (30)

percentage of women in chamber:

34.1%

expected date of next election:

January 2026

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of Uganda (consists of the chief justice and at least 6 justices)

judge selection and term of office:

• justices appointed by the president of the republic in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, an 8-member independent advisory body, and approved by the National Assembly;
• justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts:

• Court of Appeal (also acts as the Constitutional Court);
• High Court (includes 12 High Court Circuits and 8 High Court Divisions);
• Industrial Court;
• Chief Magistrate Grade One and Grade Two Courts throughout the country;
• qadhis courts;
• local council courts;
• family and children courts

• Democratic Party or DP
• Forum for Democratic Change or FDC
• Justice Forum or JEEMA
• National Resistance Movement or NRM
• National Unity Platform
• People's Progressive Party or PPP
• Uganda People's Congress or UPC

chief of mission:

Ambassador Robie KAKONGE (since 12 December 2022)

chancery:

5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone:

[1] (202) 726-7100

FAX:

[1] (202) 726-1727

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://washington.mofa.go.ug/

chief of mission:

Ambassador William W. POPP (since 20 September 2023)

embassy:

1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala

mailing address:

2190 Kampala Place, Washington DC 20521-2190

telephone:

[256] (0) 312-306-001

FAX:

[256] (0) 414-259-794

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://ug.usembassy.gov/

description:

• six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red;
• a white disk is at the center and shows a grey crowned crane (the national symbol)

meaning:

black stands for the African people, yellow for sunshine and vitality, and red for African brotherhood

title:

"O Uganda, Land of Beauty!"

lyrics/music:

George Wilberforce KAKOMOA

history:

adopted 1962; one of the shortest national anthems in the world

total World Heritage Sites:

3 (1 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (n);
• Rwenzori Mountains National Park (n);
• Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (c)

• low-income, primarily agrarian East African economy;
• COVID-19 hurt economic growth and poverty reduction;
• lower oil prices threaten prior sector investments;
• endemic corruption;
• natural resource rich;
• high female labor force participation but undervalued

agriculture:

24.7% (2024 est.)

industry:

24.9% (2024 est.)

services:

43.1% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

4.5% (2024 est.)

male:

3.5% (2024 est.)

female:

5.5% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

38.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

1.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.4% (2019 est.)

highest 10%:

34.5% (2019 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

19 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

100 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

19 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

799.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

44,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)

total subscriptions:

116,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2023 est.) less than 1

• public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and TV networks;
• 31 Free-To-Air (FTA) TV stations, 2 digital terrestrial TV stations, 3 cable TV stations, and 5 digital satellite TV stations;
• 258 FM stations

total:

44,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2023 est.) less than 1

total:

1,244 km (2014)

narrow gauge:

1,244 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

• most of the UPDF's arms are of Russian/Soviet origin with smaller quantities from such suppliers as Bulgaria, China, Czechia, Israel, and South Africa, as well as some domestically produced items;
• Uganda has a small defense industry that assembles or manufactures light armored vehicles and performs maintenance on some military equipment, including its Russian-made helicopters (2025)

refugees:

1,796,597 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

22,209 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

10,284 (2024 est.)