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87-666: The Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station is an operational 600 MW hydroelectric power station in Uganda . It is the largest power-generating installation in the country. The power station is located on the Victoria Nile , at the former location of the Karuma Falls . This location is approximately 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) upstream of where the Masindi - Gulu Highway crosses the Nile. By road, it

174-595: A hydropower station at the site of the Karuma Falls. Initially, Norpak, a Norwegian energy company, was awarded the contract to perform the feasibility study and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the dam. The World Bank promised to make a loan available to pay for the construction. The feasibility study report was made available in October 2006. Bids for construction of the project went out in November 2006. Initially,

261-694: A sleeping sickness epidemic in the southern part of Uganda, along the north shores of Lake Victoria, killed more than 250,000 people. World War II encouraged the colonial administration of Uganda to recruit 77,143 soldiers to serve in the King's African Rifles . They were seen in action in the Western Desert campaign , the Abyssinian campaign , the Battle of Madagascar and the Burma campaign . Uganda gained independence from

348-557: A 264 kilometres (164 mi) 400 kilovolt line to Kawanda UETCL Substation in Wakiso District (b) an 80 kilometres (50 mi) 132 kilovolt line to Lira and (c) a 60 kilometres (37 mi) 400 kilovolt line to a substation in Olwiyo , Nwoya District . The construction costs for the high voltage transmission lines are estimated at US$ 250 million. In June 2013, the Ugandan government awarded

435-600: A degree of self-government that would have otherwise been limited under a full colonial administration. In the 1890s, 32,000 labourers from British India were recruited to East Africa under indentured labour contracts to construct the Uganda Railway . Most of the surviving Indians returned home, but 6,724 decided to remain in East Africa after the line's completion. Subsequently, some became traders and took control of cotton ginning and sartorial retail. From 1900 to 1920,

522-416: A larger power station was now being planned. At that time, construction was expected to start in 2012 and last six years. In July 2011, media reports indicated that the maximum capacity of the project had been scaled back to 600 megawatts from 750 megawatts. Some international development partners wanted to scale back even further, to a maximum capacity of 400 to 450 megawatts. Karuma Power Station comprises

609-659: A measure ostensibly designed to reduce sectarian violence. In the non-party "Movement" system instituted by Museveni, political parties continued to exist, but they could operate only a headquarters office. They could not open branches, hold rallies, or field candidates directly (although electoral candidates could belong to political parties). A constitutional referendum cancelled this nineteen-year ban on multi-party politics in July 2005. In 1993, Pope John Paul II visited Uganda during his 6-day pastoral trip to urge Ugandans to seek reconciliation. During mass celebrations, he paid homage to

696-457: A power struggle between the Obote-led government and King Muteesa, Obote suspended the constitution and removed the ceremonial president and vice-president. In 1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic and abolished the traditional kingdoms. Obote was declared the president. After a military coup on 25 January 1971 , Obote was deposed from power and General Idi Amin seized control of

783-466: A problem. Colonial governors had failed to come up with a formula that worked. This was further complicated by Buganda's nonchalant attitude to its relationship with the central government. Buganda never sought independence but rather appeared to be comfortable with a loose arrangement that guaranteed them privileges above the other subjects within the protectorate or a special status when the British left. This

870-469: A roller compacted concrete gravity dam, that measures 20 metres (66 ft) high and 312 metres (1,024 ft) long. There are six water intake towers, each measuring 20 metres (66 ft) high and 29 metres (95 ft) wide. The underground chamber housing the six vertical Francis turbines of 100MW each, measures 200 metres (656 ft) long, 21.3 metres (70 ft) wide, and 53 metres (174 ft) high. In January 2011, Energy Infratech Private Limited,

957-665: A show down between Buganda and the Central government. Historians may argue about whether this could have been avoided through compromise. This was unlikely as Obote now felt emboldened and saw the Kabaka as weak. Indeed, by accepting the presidency four years earlier and siding with the UPC, the Kabaka had divided his people and taken the side of one against the other. Within Buganda's political institutions, rivalries driven by religion and personal ambition made

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1044-542: A significant conflict with the Buganda kingdom. Idi Amin 's military coup in 1971 led to a brutal regime characterized by mass killings and economic decline, until his overthrow in 1979. Yoweri Museveni 's National Resistance Movement (NRM) took power in 1986 after a six-year guerrilla war . This brought stability and growth, but authoritarian practices and human rights abuses. The abolition of presidential term limits, allegations of electoral fraud and repression, have raised concerns about Uganda's democratic future. Museveni

1131-418: A tour of the work site, the chairperson of the board of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), Engineer Proscovia Margaret Njuki , set the date of commissioning as 22 June 2022. In June 2021 it was reported that 98.8 percent of the work was complete with the contractor having already addressed some of the works that did not conform with the plans and actively working on the rest. In July 2022,

1218-716: A vital sector for the economy. Uganda is a member of the United Nations , the African Union , G77 , the East African Community , and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation . Much of Uganda was inhabited by Central sudanic - and Kuliak -speaking farmers and herders until 3,000 years ago, when Bantu speakers arrived in the south and Nilotic speakers arrived in the northeast. By 1500 AD, they had all been assimilated into Bantu speaking cultures south of Mount Elgon ,

1305-635: Is also intended to evacuate power from the Achwa Hydroelectricity Power Station Complex , including Achwa 2 Hydroelectric Power Station , under construction as of January 2018, and Achwa 3 Hydroelectric Power Station , under development. The main objective is to improve the quantity, quality and reliability of electricity supplied to the region. As of June 2017, the website of the Electricity Regulatory Authority , stated that (a) preparation for implementation of

1392-446: Is approximately 99 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Masindi and 75 kilometres (47 mi) south of Gulu . The electrical-mechanical installations of the power station are located approximately 100 metres (328 ft) underground, with 26.5 kilometres (16 mi) of underground access roads, making Karuma the 14th largest underground power station in the world. As far back as 1995, the government of Uganda planned to construct

1479-434: Is diverse, with volcanic hills, mountains, and lakes, including Lake Victoria, the world's second-largest freshwater lake . The country has significant natural resources, including fertile agricultural land and untapped oil reserves , contributing to its economic development. The service sector dominates the economy, surpassing agriculture. Uganda's rich biodiversity, with national parks and wildlife reserves, attracts tourism,

1566-941: Is drained by the Suam River , part of the internal drainage basin of Lake Turkana . The extreme north-eastern part of Uganda drains into the Lotikipi Basin, which is primarily in Kenya. Uganda has 60 protected areas , including ten national parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Rwenzori Mountains National Park (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites ), Kibale National Park , Kidepo Valley National Park , Lake Mburo National Park , Mgahinga Gorilla National Park , Mount Elgon National Park , Murchison Falls National Park , Queen Elizabeth National Park , and Semuliki National Park . The Independent (Uganda) The news magazine covers general and business news. It also has dedicated sections for news analysis, Eastern African regional news and

1653-471: Is estimated that up to 2,000 people died in the battle which ended when the army called in heavier guns and overran the palace. The anticipated countryside uprising in Buganda did not materialise and a few hours later a beaming Obote met the press to relish his victory. The Kabaka escaped over the palace walls and was transported into exile in London by supporters. He died there three years later. In 1966, following

1740-536: Is surrounded by extensive marshy areas. Although landlocked, Uganda contains many large lakes. Besides Lakes Victoria and Kyoga, there are Lake Albert , Lake Edward , and the smaller Lake George . It lies almost completely within the Nile basin. The Victoria Nile drains from Lake Victoria into Lake Kyoga and thence into Lake Albert on the Congolese border. It then runs northwards into South Sudan . An area in eastern Uganda

1827-628: Is up to Ugandans to critically analyse this. The European Union's Election Observation Mission reported on improvements and flaws of the Ugandan electoral process: "The electoral campaign and polling day were conducted in a peaceful manner. However, the electoral process was marred by avoidable administrative and logistical failures that led to an unacceptable number of Ugandan citizens being disfranchised." Since August 2012, hacktivist group Anonymous has threatened Ugandan officials and hacked official government websites over its anti-gay bills. Some international donors have threatened to cut financial aid to

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1914-690: The Daily Monitor reported that the power station would be brought online, one turbine at a time, with the first 100-MW unit starting in October 2022 and the sixth and final unit commissioned in June 2023. As of November 2023, with four of the six generators supplying power to the national grid, the remaining two turbines were expected to come online in 2024, with anticipated commercial commissioning planned for September 2024. The completed renewable energy infrastructure project underwent commercial commissioning on 26 September 2024, adding 600 MW of clean renewable power to

2001-580: The Democratic Party (DP) that had roots in the Catholic Church. The bitterness between these two parties was extremely intense especially as the first elections for the post-Colonial parliament approached. The Kabaka particularly disliked the DP leader, Benedicto Kiwanuka . Outside Buganda, a soft-spoken politician from Northern Uganda, Milton Obote , had forged an alliance of non-Buganda politicians to form

2088-519: The Empire of Kitara . The arrival of Arab traders in the 1830s and British explorers in the late 19th century, marked the beginning of foreign influence. The British established the Protectorate of Uganda in 1894, incorporating various kingdoms and setting the stage for future political dynamics. Uganda gained independence in 1962, with Milton Obote as the first prime minister. The 1966 Mengo Crisis marked

2175-556: The Nile River , and Lake Kyoga . According to oral tradition and archeological studies, the Empire of Kitara covered an important part of the Great Lakes Area , from the northern lakes Albert and Kyoga to the southern lakes Victoria and Tanganyika . Kitara is claimed as the antecedent of the Tooro , Ankole , and Busoga kingdoms. Some Luo invaded Kitara and assimilated with

2262-481: The 21 Buganda seats were elected by proportional representation reflecting the elections to the Buganda parliament – the Lukikko. KY won a resounding victory over DP, winning all 21 seats. The UPC reached a high at the end of 1964 when the leader of the DP in parliament, Basil Kiiza Bataringaya , crossed the parliamentary floor with five other MPs, leaving DP with only nine seats. The DP MPs were not particularly happy that

2349-771: The 250 passengers originally on board were held hostage until an Israeli commando raid rescued them ten days later. Amin's reign was ended after the Uganda-Tanzania War in 1979, in which Tanzanian forces aided by Ugandan exiles invaded Uganda. In 1980, the Ugandan Bush War broke out resulting in Yoweri Museveni became president since his forces toppled the previous regime in January 1986. Political parties in Uganda were restricted in their activities beginning that year, in

2436-840: The Bantu society there, establishing the Biito dynasty of the current Omukama (ruler) of Bunyoro-Kitara . Arab traders moved into the land from the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa in the 1830s for trade and commerce. In the late 1860s, Bunyoro in Mid-Western Uganda found itself threatened from the north by Egyptian-sponsored agents. Unlike the Arab traders from the East African coast who sought trade, these agents were promoting foreign conquest. In 1869, Khedive Ismail Pasha of Egypt, seeking to annex

2523-483: The Buganda Kabaka (King) Edward Muteesa II holding the largely ceremonial position of president. Uganda's immediate post-independence years were dominated by the relationship between the central government and the largest regional kingdom – Buganda . From the moment the British created the Uganda protectorate, the issue of how to manage the largest monarchy within the framework of a unitary state had always been

2610-410: The Buganda question remained unresolved. Uganda was one of the few colonial territories that achieved independence without a dominant political party with a clear majority in parliament. In the pre-Independence elections, the UPC ran no candidates in Buganda and won 37 of the 61 directly elected seats (outside Buganda). The DP won 24 seats outside Buganda. The "special status" granted to Buganda meant that

2697-463: The Central government. For those outside the UPC (including KY supporters), this was a sign that Obote was vulnerable. Keen observers realised the UPC was not a cohesive unit. The collapse of the UPC-KY alliance openly revealed the dissatisfaction Obote and others had about Buganda's "special status". In 1964, the government responded to demands from some parts of the vast Buganda Kingdom that they were not

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2784-477: The Indian company contracted to perform the feasibility study for the project, said the estimated total cost for the dam and power plant was approximately US $ 2.2 billion. That figure included the cost needed to build a transmission line from Karuma to a location where the power will be integrated into the national power grid. The power generated is transmitted via high voltage wires to three substations as follows: (a)

2871-450: The Kabaka if it came to that). Obote abolished the constitution and effectively suspended elections due in a few months. Obote went on television and radio to accuse the Kabaka of various offences including requesting foreign troops which appears to have been explored by the Kabaka following the rumours of Amin plotting a coup. Obote further dismantled the authority of the Kabaka by announcing among other measures: The lines were now drawn for

2958-457: The Kabaka made his move. He asked for foreign help, and the Buganda parliament demanded that the Uganda government leave Buganda (including the capital, Kampala). In response Obote ordered Idi Amin to attack the Kabaka's palace. The battle for the Kabaka's palace was fierce – the Kabaka's guards putting up more resistance than had been expected. The British trained Captain – the Kabaka with about 120 armed men kept Idi Amin at bay for twelve hours. It

3045-419: The Kabaka was mute – probably content in his ceremonial role and symbolism in his part of the country. However, there were also major divisions within his palace that made it difficult for him to act effectively against Obote. By the time Uganda had become independent, Buganda "was a divided house with contending social and political forces" There were however problems brewing inside the UPC. As its ranks swelled,

3132-460: The Kabaka's subjects. Prior to colonial rule, Buganda had been rivalled by the neighbouring Bunyoro kingdom. Buganda had conquered parts of Bunyoro and the British colonialists had formalised this in the Buganda Agreements. Known as the "lost counties", the people in these areas wished to revert to being part of Bunyoro. Obote decided to allow a referendum, which angered the Kabaka and most of

3219-541: The Kabaka. They were now aligned to opposing Obote. Second – the security forces – the British colonialists had recruited the army and police almost exclusively from Northern Uganda due to their perceived suitability for these roles. At independence, the army and police was dominated by northern tribes – mainly Nilotic. They would now feel more affiliated to Obote, and he took full advantage of this to consolidate his power. In April 1966, Obote passed out eight hundred new army recruits at Moroto , of whom seventy percent came from

3306-629: The Lugbara, Acholi, and Langi, all of whom have bitter rivalries that were to define Uganda's military politics later. Despite these ambiguities, these events unwittingly brought to fore the northerner/southerner political divide which to some extent still influences Ugandan politics. The UPC fragmentation continued as opponents sensed Obote's vulnerability. At local level where the UPC dominated most councils discontent began to challenge incumbent council leaders. Even in Obote's home district, attempts were made to oust

3393-521: The Northern Region. At the time there was a tendency to perceive central government and security forces as dominated by "northerners" – particularly the Acholi who through the UPC had significant access to government positions at national level. In northern Uganda there were also varied degrees of anti-Buganda feelings, particularly over the kingdom's "special status" before and after independence, and all

3480-608: The UK on 9 October 1962 with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and Queen of Uganda . In October 1963, Uganda became a republic but maintained its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations . The first post-independence election, held in 1962, was won by an alliance between the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) and Kabaka Yekka (KY). UPC and KY formed the first post-independence government with Milton Obote as executive prime minister, with

3567-512: The UPC. The "North/South" ethnic divide that had been evident in economic and social spheres now entrenched itself in politics. Obote surrounded himself with mainly northern politicians, while Ibingira's supporters who were subsequently arrested and jailed with him, were mainly from the South. In time, the two factions acquired ethnic labels – "Bantu" (the mainly Southern Ibingira faction) and "Nilotic" (the mainly Northern Obote faction). The perception that

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3654-475: The Uganda People's Congress (UPC). The UPC at its heart was dominated by politicians who wanted to rectify what they saw as the regional inequality that favoured Buganda's special status. This drew in substantial support from outside Buganda. The party however remained a loose alliance of interests, but Obote showed great skill at negotiating them into a common ground based on a federal formula. At Independence,

3741-459: The beginning of construction, an estimated 76 percent of the physical work had been completed. Of the 6,000 workers, 5,300 are Ugandan. The first 200 MW of power are expected online in December 2018, and the rest in 2019. Each unit of power is expected to cost the consumer US$ 0.049 for the first 10 years of the life of the power station, after which the price will drop down to US$ 0.020 per unit, for

3828-453: The capital and largest city, Kampala . Uganda is named after the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south, including Kampala, and whose language Luganda is widely spoken; the official language is English. The region was populated by various ethnic groups, before Bantu and Nilotic groups arrived around 3,000 years ago. These groups established influential kingdoms such as

3915-510: The civil war against the Lord's Resistance Army, which has been guilty of numerous crimes against humanity, including child slavery , the Atiak massacre , and other mass murders. Conflict in northern Uganda has killed thousands and displaced millions. Parliament abolished presidential term limits in 2005, allegedly because Museveni used public funds to pay US$ 2,000 to each member of parliament who supported

4002-636: The completed power station is expected in December 2019. In September 2019, an estimated 95 percent of construction had been completed. This included 100 percent completion of the Karuma–Lira High Voltage Line, 100 percent of the Karuma–Kawanda High Voltage Power Line and 98 percent of the Karuma–Olwiyo High Voltage Line. Commissioning of the power station is planned for December 2019. In addition to

4089-484: The construction contract to Sinohydro , a Chinese construction company. Work began in the second half of 2013 and was expected to last five years. Construction costs were to be jointly funded by the Ugandan and Chinese governments. In June 2014, the Exim Bank of China committed in writing to fund 85 percent of the construction costs, in the form of a concessionary loan repayable in five years. The Ugandan government will fund

4176-531: The construction of this power line. The power line reached 100 percent construction and was energized on 18 November 2023. Commercial commissioning of the power line took place at the new Agago 132/33kV substation on 21 February 2024. Uganda Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda , is a landlocked country in East Africa . It is bordered to the east by Kenya , to the north by South Sudan , to

4263-442: The country if anti-gay bills continue. Indicators of a plan for succession by the president's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, have increased tensions. President Yoweri Museveni has ruled the country since 1986 and he was latest re-elected in January 2021 presidential elections . According to official results Museveni won the elections with 58% of the vote while popstar-turned-politician Bobi Wine had 35%. The opposition challenged

4350-464: The country. Amin ruled Uganda as dictator with the support of the military for the next eight years. He carried out mass killings within the country to maintain his rule. An estimated 80,000–500,000 Ugandans died during his regime. Aside from his brutalities, he forcibly removed the entrepreneurial Indian minority from Uganda. In June 1976, Palestinian terrorists hijacked an Air France flight and forced it to land at Entebbe airport . One hundred of

4437-429: The day the dam is fully commissioned. Uganda has already invested US$ 253.26 million to start the construction. That brings the total funds committed to the project as, of March 2015, to US $ 1,688,380,000. As of June 2018, with approximately 76 percent of the work completed, the total construction budget was quoted at US$ 1.7 billion, with US$ 1.4 billion for construction of the power station, and US$ 300 million going towards

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4524-645: The death of the Uganda Martyrs in 1885—after the conversion of Muteesa I and much of his court, and the succession of his anti-Christian son Mwanga. The British government chartered the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) to negotiate trade agreements in the region beginning in 1888. From 1886, there was a series of religious wars in Buganda, initially between Muslims and Christians and then, from 1890, between "ba-Ingleza" Protestants and "ba-Fransa" Catholics, factions named after

4611-491: The economic and social benefits that came with this status. "Obote brought significant numbers of northerners into the central state, both through the civil service and military, and created a patronage machine in Northern Uganda". However, both "Bantu" and "Nilotic" labels represent significant ambiguities. The Bantu category for example includes both Buganda and Bunyoro – historically bitter rivals. The Nilotic label includes

4698-496: The ethnic, religious, regional, and personal interests began to shake the party. The party's apparent strength was eroded in a complex sequence of factional conflicts in its central and regional structures. And by 1966, the UPC was tearing itself apart. The conflicts were further intensified by the newcomers who had crossed the parliamentary floor from DP and KY. The UPC delegates arrived in Gulu in 1964 for their delegates conference. Here

4785-461: The government was at war with the Bantu was further enhanced when Obote arrested and imprisoned the mainly Bantu ministers who backed Ibingira. These labels brought into the mix two very powerful influences. First Buganda – the people of Buganda are Bantu and therefore naturally aligned to the Ibingira faction. The Ibingira faction further advanced this alliance by accusing Obote of wanting to overthrow

4872-565: The head of the local district council in 1966. A more worrying fact for the UPC was that the next national elections loomed in 1967 – and without the support of KY (who were now likely to back the DP), and the growing factionalism in the UPC, there was the real possibility that the UPC would be out of power in months. Obote went after KY with a new act of parliament in early 1966 that blocked any attempt by KY to expand outside Buganda. KY appeared to respond in parliament through one of their few remaining MPs,

4959-444: The high voltage transmission lines to Lira, Olwiyo and Kawanda, that belong to Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), Umeme , the largest national distributor will spend USh4 billion (US$ 1.1 million) to construct a network of 33kV lines from Karuma to Kigumba and on to the districts of Lira , Gulu , Masindi and Hoima . Commissioning of the power station had been moved to November 2020. In May 2021, following

5046-403: The highest peak in Uganda, which is named Alexandra and measures 5,094 meters. Much of the south of the country is heavily influenced by one of the world's biggest lakes, Lake Victoria, which contains many islands. The most important cities are located in the south, near this lake, including the capital Kampala and the nearby city of Entebbe . Lake Kyoga is in the centre of the country and

5133-521: The hostility of their leader, Benedicto Kiwanuka, towards the Kabaka was hindering their chances of compromise with KY. The trickle of defections turned into a flood when 10 KY members crossed the floor when they realised the formal coalition with the UPC was no longer viable. Obote's charismatic speeches across the country were sweeping all before him, and the UPC was winning almost every local election held and increasing its control over all district councils and legislatures outside Buganda. The response from

5220-479: The imperial powers with which they were aligned. Because of civil unrest and financial burdens, IBEAC claimed that it was unable to "maintain their occupation" in the region. British commercial interests were ardent to protect the trade route of the Nile, which prompted the British government to annex Buganda and adjoining territories to create the Uganda Protectorate in 1894. The Protectorate of Uganda

5307-428: The institutions ineffective and unable to respond to the central government moves. The Kabaka was often regarded as aloof and unresponsive to advice from the younger Buganda politicians who better understood the new post-Independence politics, unlike the traditionalists who were ambivalent to what was going on as long as their traditional benefits were maintained. The Kabaka favoured the neo-traditionalists. In May 1966,

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5394-447: The lead contractor on the project, contracted with Alstom to provide equipment and technical services to the power station, in a deal worth US$ 65 million. The equipment includes six 100 megawatt Francis turbines and related equipment. At the peak of construction, it is expected that a total of 2,500 casual and permanent workers will be hired. The power station is expected to be commissioned in 2018. As of March 2016, about 30 percent of

5481-590: The measure. Presidential elections were held in February 2006. Museveni ran against several candidates, the most prominent of them being Kizza Besigye . On 20 February 2011, the Uganda Electoral Commission declared the incumbent president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the winning candidate of the 2011 elections that were held on 18 February 2011. The opposition however, were not satisfied with the results, condemning them as full of sham and rigging. According to

5568-494: The national gird. The Lira–Gulu–Agago High Voltage Power Line is an operational 132kV high voltage power line in the Northern Region of Uganda . The 132 kilovolt power line would start at the 132 kV Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) substation at Lira . The line would travel in a general northeast direction to the city of Gulu , approximately 132 kilometres (82 mi) away, by road. From Gulu,

5655-402: The new transmission lines and new substations. In November 2023, more than 10 years since construction began, The Independent (Uganda) reported that the construction budget, initially quoted as UGX6.323 trillion (US$ 1.7 billion), had expanded to UGX8.183 trillion (US$ 2.178 billion). The construction of the dam and power station officially started on 12 August 2013. In March 2015, Sinohydro ,

5742-436: The next 15 years. Three new substations, one each at Karuma, Kawanda and Olwiyo, are part of the construction contract. The substation at Lira will also undergo an upgrade to accommodate power from Karuma. As of April 2019, the Daily Monitor newspaper reported that the work on the power station was approximately 80 percent complete, while the three high voltage transmission lines were 80 to 85 percent complete. Commissioning of

5829-405: The official results, Museveni won with 68 percent of the votes. This easily topped his nearest challenger, Besigye, who had been Museveni's physician and told reporters that he and his supporters "downrightly snub" the outcome as well as the unremitting rule of Museveni or any person he may appoint. Besigye added that the rigged elections would definitely lead to an illegitimate leadership and that it

5916-476: The plan was to build a 200-250 megawatt power station. In 2009, the plans were redrawn, calling for a much larger project of 750 megawatts. Sometime during 2009, Norpak pulled out of the negotiations with the Ugandan government, citing the Global Recession of 2008 to 2012 . The Ugandan government then contracted with Energy Infratech Private Limited to perform a new feasibility study and a new EIA, given that

6003-448: The population resettlement plan were underway, (b) the updated feasibility study was in its final stages, (c) the pre-qualification of the contractors was ongoing and (d) the tender evaluation had been concluded. The scope of work involves the construction of a new 132kV electricity substation at Agago. In January 2016, the German government committed to lend €40 million, on soft terms, towards

6090-423: The power line would travel in a general easterly direction for about 160 kilometres (99 mi), to end at Agago . The total distance traveled by the power line is estimated at approximately 230 kilometres (143 mi), since the line does not follow the road all the time. This power line is intended to distribute electricity generated from power stations on the Victoria Nile to the Northern Region of Uganda. It

6177-520: The remaining 15 percent of the cost. In March 2015, the Ugandan Parliament assented to two loans totalling US$ 1.435 billion, from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China, for the construction of the power station. Of that amount, US$ 789.3 million will be loaned at 2 percent per annum, repayable over 20 years, while US$ 645.82 million will attract 4 percent interest, payable over 15 years, effective

6264-552: The resistance as an act of treachery, and he denounced the Banyoro in a book ( Ismailia – A Narrative Of The Expedition To Central Africa For The Suppression Of Slave Trade, Organised By Ismail, Khadive Of Egypt (1874)) that was widely read in Britain. Later, the British arrived in Uganda with a predisposition against the kingdom of Bunyoro and sided with the kingdom of Buganda . This would eventually cost Bunyoro half of its territory, which

6351-453: The rest of Buganda. The residents of the counties voted to return to Bunyoro despite the Kabaka's attempts to influence the vote. Having lost the referendum, KY opposed the bill to pass the counties to Bunyoro, thus ending the alliance with the UPC. The tribal nature of Ugandan politics was also manifesting itself in government. The UPC which had previously been a national party began to break along tribal lines when Ibingira challenged Obote in

6438-492: The result because of allegations of widespread fraud and irregularities. Another opposition candidate was 24 year old John Katumba. Uganda is located in southeast Africa between 1º S and 4º N latitude, and between 30º E and 35º E longitude. Its geography is very diverse, consisting of volcanic hills, mountains, and lakes. The country sits at an average of 900 meters above sea level. Both the eastern and western borders of Uganda have mountains. The Ruwenzori mountain range contains

6525-577: The scheme. Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of a motion to censure Amin and investigate Obote's involvement. This shook the government and raised tensions in the country. KY further demonstrated its ability to challenge Obote from within his party at the UPC Buganda conference where Godfrey Binaisa (the Attorney General) was ousted by a faction believed to have the backing of KY, Ibingira and other anti-Obote elements in Buganda. Obote's response

6612-722: The slain Christian martyrs. In the mid-to-late 1990s, Museveni was lauded by western countries as part of a new generation of African leaders. His presidency has been marred, however, by invading and occupying the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the Second Congo War , resulting in an estimated 5.4 million deaths since 1998, and by participating in other conflicts in the Great Lakes region of Africa . He has struggled for years in

6699-481: The terminally ill Daudi Ochieng. Ochieng was an irony – although from Northern Uganda, he had risen high in the ranks of KY and become a close confidant to the Kabaka who had gifted him with large land titles in Buganda. In Obote's absence from Parliament, Ochieng laid bare the illegal plundering of ivory and gold from the Congo that had been orchestrated by Obote's army chief of staff, Colonel Idi Amin . He further alleged that Obote, Onama and Neykon had all benefited from

6786-423: The territories north of the borders of Lake Victoria and east of Lake Albert and "south of Gondokoro ," sent a British explorer, Samuel Baker , on a military expedition to the frontiers of Northern Uganda, with the objective of suppressing the slave-trade there and opening the way to commerce and "civilization." The Banyoro resisted Baker, who had to fight a desperate battle to secure his retreat. Baker regarded

6873-408: The territory was extended beyond the borders of Buganda by signing more treaties with the other kingdoms ( Toro in 1900, Ankole in 1901, and Bunyoro in 1933 ) to an area that roughly corresponds to that of present-day Uganda. The status of Protectorate had significantly different consequences for Uganda than had the region been made a colony like neighboring Kenya , insofar as Uganda retained

6960-538: The west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo , to the south-west by Rwanda , and to the south by Tanzania . The southern part includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria , shared with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region, it lies within the Nile basin, and has a varied equatorial climate . As of 2024 , it has a population of over 49 million, of which 8.5 million live in

7047-463: The work had been completed. In October 2016, it was estimated that about 1,000 Chinese nationals and about 5,000 Ugandans were working at the power station. In February 2018, the Red Pepper Newspaper reported that work equivalent to 74 percent of the entire project had been completed and commissioning of the power station was expected in December 2018. As of June 2018, fifty-six months since

7134-520: Was a protectorate of the British Empire from 1894 to 1962. In 1893, the Imperial British East Africa Company transferred its administration rights of territory consisting mainly of the Kingdom of Buganda to the British government. The IBEAC relinquished its control over Uganda after Ugandan internal religious wars had driven it into bankruptcy. In 1894, the Uganda Protectorate was established, and

7221-709: Was elected president in the 2011 , 2016 , and 2021 general elections. Human rights issues, corruption, and regional conflicts, such as involvement in the Congo Wars and the struggle against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), continue to challenge Uganda. Despite this, it has made progress in education and health, improving literacy and reducing HIV infection, though challenges in maternal health and gender inequality persist. The country's future depends on addressing governance and human rights, while leveraging its natural and human resources for sustainable development. Geographically, Uganda

7308-525: Was evidenced in part by hostilities between the British colonial authorities and Buganda prior to independence. Within Buganda, there were divisions – between those who wanted the Kabaka to remain a dominant monarch and those who wanted to join with the rest of Uganda to create a modern secular state. The split resulted in the creation of two dominant Buganda based parties – the Kabaka Yekka (Kabaka Only) KY, and

7395-439: Was given to Buganda as a reward from the British. Two of the numerous "lost counties" were restored to Bunyoro after independence . In the 1860s, while Arabs sought influence from the north, British explorers searching for the source of the Nile arrived in Uganda. They were followed by British Anglican missionaries who arrived in the kingdom of Buganda in 1877 and French Catholic missionaries in 1879. This situation gave rise to

7482-486: Was the first demonstration as to how Obote was losing control of his party. The battle over the Secretary-General of the party was a bitter contest between the new moderate's candidate – Grace Ibingira and the radical John Kakonge. Ibingira subsequently became the symbol of the opposition to Obote within the UPC. This is an important factor when looking at the subsequent events that led to the crisis between Buganda and

7569-541: Was to arrest Ibingira and other ministers at a cabinet meeting and to assume special powers in February 1966. In March 1966, Obote also announced that the offices of President and vice-president would cease to exist – effectively dismissing the Kabaka. Obote also gave Amin more power – giving him the Army Commander position over the previous holder (Opolot) who had relations to Buganda through marriage (possibly believing Opolot would be reluctant to take military action against

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