Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
conventional short form: Uganda

Data code UG

Government type republic

National capital Kampala

Administrative divisions 39 districts; Apac, Arua, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga,Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kibale,Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pallisa,Rakai, Rukungiri, Soroti, Tororo

Independence 9 October 1962 (from UK)

National holiday Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

Constitution 8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly,charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved on promulgation of the constitutionin October 1995

Legal system in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on Englishcommon law and customary law and reinstituted a normal judicial system; acceptscompulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January1986); Prime Minister Kintu MUSOKE (since 18 November 1994) note - the presidentis both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister assiststhe president in the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators
elections: president elected by popular vote; election last held 9 May 1996 (nextto be held by 31 May 2001); note - first popular election for president sinceindependence in 1962; prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote -Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 74%, Paul Kawanga SSEMOGERERE 24%, Muhammad MAYANJA 2%

Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly (276 members serve five-year terms; 214directly elected by universal suffrage, but 62 are nominated by legally establishedspecial interest groups and approved by the president - women 39, army 10,disabled 5, youth 5, labor 3)
elections: elections to the National Assembly (formerly the National ResistanceCouncil) took place on 27 June 1996 (next election to be held in 2001);
election results: NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted

Judicial branch Court of Appeal; High Court

Political parties and leaders only one political organization, the National Resistance Movement orNRM [Dr. Samson KISEKKA, chairman] is recognized; note - this is the partyof President MUSEVENI; the president maintains that the NRM is not a politicalparty, but a movement which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans
note: of the political parties which exist but are prohibited from sponsoringcandidates, the most important are the Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [MiltonOBOTE], Democratic Party or DP [Paul SSEMOGERERE], and Conservative Partyor CP [Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI]; the new constitution confirms the suspensionof political party activity until 2000

International organization participation ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Edith Grace SSEMPALA
chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador E. Michael SOUTHWICK
embassy : Parliament Avenue, Kampala
mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
telephone: [256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795
FAX: [256] (41) 259794

Flag description six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow,and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side

NOTE: The information regarding Uganda on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Uganda Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Uganda Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.