VFA Uganda Country Information

General Information

Area: 241,139 sq km (93,104 sq miles).

Population: 21,620,000 (official estimate 1999)

Population Density: 89.7 per sq km.

Capital: Kampala. Population: 774,241 (1991).

GEOGRAPHY: Uganda shares borders with Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Lake Victoria to the southeast, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. Kampala is on the shores of Lake Victoria, and the White Nile flowing out of the lake traverses much of the country. The varied scenery includes tropical forest and tea plantations on the slopes of the snowcapped Ruwenzori Mountains, the arid plains of the Karamoja, the lush, heavily populated Buganda, the rolling savannah of Acholi, Bunyoro, Tororo and Ankole, and the fertile cotton area of Teso.

Government: Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1962. Head of State: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni since 1986. Head of Government: Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi since 1999.

Language: English is the official language, with Luganda and Swahili also widely spoken.

Religion: Sixty per cent Christian, 32 per cent Animist and five per cent Muslim.

Time: GMT + 3.

Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications:  

Telephone

IDD is available to and from principal towns in Uganda. Country code: 256. Service for local calls is unreliable.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900/1800 network. Main network operators are Uganda Telecom Ltd (website: www.utl.co.ug), Clovergem Celtel (website: www.msi-cellular.com) and MTN Uganda (website: www.mtn.co.ug). Coverage extends to all major towns.

Fax

Service is available at the Postal & Telecommunications Office, 35 Kampala Road, Kampala; central post offices in Jinja and Mbale between 0800-1600; and in some hotels.

Internet

ISPs include InfoCom (website: www.imul.com) and MTN Uganda (website: www.mtn.co.ug). Internet cafes exist in Kampala.

Telegram

Available in main towns.

Post

Airmail to Europe can take from three days to several weeks. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1230 and 1400-1730. Some post offices are open Sat 0830-1300.

Press

The English-language papers include Financial Times, The Monitor, New Vision, The Star and Weekly Topic.

BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.

Passport/Visa

  Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required?
British Yes Yes Yes
Australian Yes Yes Yes
Canadian Yes Yes Yes
USA Yes Yes Yes
OtherEU Yes Yes/1 Yes
Japanese Yes Yes Yes


Restricted entry: Entry may be refused to passengers not holding sufficient funds, return or onward tickets and other necessary travel documents.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) 1. nationals of Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Burundi, Comoros, Cyprus, Eritrea, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Rwanda, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe;
(b) transit passengers continuing to a third country by the same or first connecting flight within 24 hours, provided holding confirmed tickets and travel documents and not leaving the airport.

Note: Some visas may be issued on arrival to Uganda. Check with your local Embassy for further details.

Types of visa and cost: Single-entry: US$30 (three months); Multiple-entry: US$80 (six months), US$160 (one year); Transit: US$15.

Validity: Single-entry: Three months from date of issue; Multiple-entry: Six months or one year from date of issue; Transit: 24 hours.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at High Commission or Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) One completed application form. (c) One recent passport-size photo. (d) Fee (cash or postal orders only). (e) Registered self-addressed envelope, if applying by post. (f) Return/onward ticket, all necessary documents for next destination and sufficient funds. Business: (a)-(f) and, (g) Letter of invitation/introduction.

Note: Working journalists require a letter of accreditation issued by the Secretary of the Media Council, Dept of Information, PO Box 7142, Kampala (tel: (41) 232 734; fax: (41) 256 888 or 342 259).

Working days required: One.

Temporary residence: Enquire at Embassy or High Commission.

Travel - Internal

AIR: Eagle Air, TMK, Air Commuter and Missionary Aviation Fellowship offer flights from Entebbe to most major towns. Charter flights are also available.

LAKE: Local boat services link Entebbe to the Ssesse Islands.

ROAD: Traffic drives on the left. The road network extends over 28,332km (17,605 miles). The roads are of variable quality and radiate from Kampala, although the network is sparse in the north. There are still some army and police check points on roads and railways. Bus: Services run between most parts of Uganda but are unreliable and often very crowded. Scheduled services operate between Entebbe and Kampala (travel time – 1 hour) and to and from the airport. An extensive network of minibuses, known as Matatus, runs to most parts of the country and they are a quick and convenient form of transport, if a little overcrowded. Post-bus services operate Monday to Saturday from Kampala to main towns. There are also special taxis, identifiable by their black and white stripes, which take passengers to wherever they want to go, but are more expensive than Matatas. Documentation: An International Driving Permit and adequate third-party insurance is required. Drivers must carry their vehicle log books.

Climate

Temperatures in some parts of the country can be quite cool owing to the country’s high altitude, despite its position on the equator. The mountain areas become much cooler and the top of Mount Elgon is often covered with snow. Other parts of the country are much warmer. There is heavy rain between March and May and between October and November.

Required clothing: Lightweights and rainwear, with warm wraps for the evenings are advised.


Duty Free

The following items may be imported, by vistiors over 17 years, into Uganda without incurring customs duty (except from Kenya and Tanzania):
200 cigarettes or 225g of tobacco; 1 bottle of spirits or wine; 568ml of perfume.

Restricted exports: A special permit is required to export game trophies.