'Africas Friendliest Country'
'The Pearl Of
Africa!'
Uganda - 'The pearl of Africa'
An African safari destination, is Situated at the geographical heart of the African continent, Uganda has long been a cultural melting pot. With over 56 different languages and dialects spoken, Uganda is as diverse in culture as it is in terms of landscape and wildlife. As a result of migration and intermarriage, most Ugandans have ancestors from a variety of Uganda’s ethnic groups, although people customarily identify with just a single group. In centuries past ancestors of many of these groups came to Uganda from what is now Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Language - English is the official language of Uganda, though Swahili is also widely spoken and used as a lingua franca (a language used in common by different peoples to facilitate commerce and trade). Luganda, the language of the Ganda, is the most frequently used indigenous tongue especially around Kampala city and south of Kampala.
Culture - At the cultural core of modern-day Uganda lie the Bantu-speaking kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole and Toro, whose traditional monarchs – reinstated in the 1990s after having been abolished by President Milton Obote in 1967 – still serve as important cultural figureheads.
According to oral tradition, these centuries-old kingdoms are offshoots of the mediaeval kingdoms of Batembuzi and Bacwezi, which lay in the vicinity of present-day Mubende and Ntusi, where archaeological evidence suggests that a strongly centralized polity had emerged by the 11th century. Three former kings of Buganda are buried in an impressive traditional thatched building at the Kasubi Tombs a heritage sight in Kampala.
Elsewhere, Uganda's cultural diversity is boosted in the northeast by the presence of the Karimojong, traditional pastoralists whose lifestyle and culture is reminiscent of the renowned Maasai. A story goes about the Karimojong people in regards to courtship and marriage of young warriors, that when a young man is going to marry a girl, he's got to challenge her to a wrestling march and he can marry her only when he wins. In the northwest by a patchwork of agricultural peoples whose Nilotic languages and cultures are rooted in what is now Sudan.
The Rwenzori foothills are home to the hardy Bakonjo, while the Bagisu of the Mount Elgon region are known for their colorful Imbalu (circumcision) ceremony, an individual initiation of young boys to manhood that peaks in activity in and around August of every even numbered year.
The capital
Facts - like the legendary Rome, Kampala was originally built on seven hills and therefore called the city of seven hills. This has since changed with growth and expansion to cover over 24 hills. Greater Kampala covers a radius of approximately 16 kilometers. Kampala lies to the south of Uganda and is bordered to the south by Lake Victoria. It is the most populated city in Uganda with a population of approximately 2 million people. It is also the commercial hub of Uganda. Kampala hosts a number of diplomatic missions. Kampala is regarded the friendliest city in Africa and this is attributed to the general culture of hospitality carried by Ugandans but it is also attributed to the remarkably low level of crime and hassle directed at tourists.
Kampala became Uganda's capital in 1962 at independence. Before that, Entebbe was the administrative capital of Uganda. Kampala experienced a major slow down and stop in economic growth in the years of Idi Amin 1971 - 1979 and the preceding years of chaos and short-lived regimes 1980 - 1986.
Kampala today is growing by leaps and bounds. With new buildings mushrooming all over the city, the just hosted CHOGM - Common Wealth Heads of Governments Meetings, has contributed to the infrastructure growth especially in the hotel industry.
Climate - Kampala's climate is moderate with temperature highs at 28 degrees Celsius or 82 degrees Fahrenheit and lows at 16 degrees Celsius or 55 degrees Fahrenheit. June/July are the coldest months in Kampala. Kampala receives an average annual rainfall of 1500mm and lies at altitude of approximately 3500 feet above sea-level.
Places of Interest - There's many places of interest in Kampala. Didi's world is a modern children’s play center, Ndere center - center for traditional African dance and drum celebration, the Uganda museum, the national theatre and craft center for local drama and good shopping for African crafts and souvenirs.
Restaurants - Kampala caters for all types of cuisines. Among others, you will find; Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Italian not forgetting the regular tropical Ugandan dishes you might want to try.
Getting around - Kampala caters for all kinds of transportation means, regular 14 seater passenger taxis can be taken from the main taxi rank downtown. Regular saloon cabs can be taken from any street they bear a distinct stripe for easy identification you need to agree on a price before departure. This however is not the case for the new taxi cabs installed with digital counters.
If you are the adventurous type you might want to try out the motor bike ride commonly called 'Boda-boda' they're often good for beating traffic especially during peak hour which can occur any time of the day really. However if you are going upcountry, you could catch a bus from the main bus terminal downtown just close to Nakivubo soccer stadium and Owino market.
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