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Uganda
Country Facts
Population: 32,369,558 (2009)
Median Age: 15 yrs
GDP per capita: $1,300 (2009 est.)
Major Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant (42% ea.), Islam (12%)
People Groups: 66 Unreached: 6
Largest Unreached People Group: Ugandan Gujarati
Government Type: Republic
Official Languages: English, Luganda
Geography
Located in eastern Africa, Uganda is west of Kenya, also bordering Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, Central African Republic (CAR) on the east and Sudan to the north. Its topography is a plateau with a rim of mountains. Uganda is a fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers, including Lake Victoria in the southeast corner.
People
The Baganda are the largest ethnic group in Uganda and comprise approximately 18% of the population. The Bayankole and Bahima (10%), Bakiga (8%) Langi (6%), and Basaga (8%) comprise the largest ethnic tribes in each of the regions of Uganda.
Uganda's population is predominately rural, and its population density highest in the southern regions. Until 1972, Asians constituted the largest non-indigenous ethnic group in Uganda when over 50,000 Asians were expelled by Idi Amin. Since his overthrow in 1979, 30,000 Asians have returned to Uganda.
History
Bantu speakers probably entered southern Uganda by the end of the first
millennium. They had developed centralized kingdoms by the fifteenth or
sixteenth century, and after independence from British rule in 1962, Bantu
speakers constituted roughly two-thirds of the population. Nilotic language speakers probably entered the area from the north
beginning about
C.E.
1000. Thought to be the first cattle-herding people in the area, they
also relied on crop cultivation. Arab traders moved inland from the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa in the 1830s. They were followed in the 1860s by British explorers searching for the source of the Nile. Protestant missionaries entered the country in 1877, followed by Catholic missionaries in 1879. The United Kingdom placed the area under the charter of the British East Africa Company in 1888, and ruled it as a protectorate from 1894.
Uganda gained independence from Britain in 1962, maintaining its Commonwealth membership. After this independence, there was little indication that the country was headed for social
and political upheaval. Instead, Uganda appeared to be a model of
stability and progress. In 1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic and abolished the traditional kingdoms. Ethnic and religious divisions as well as historical emnities and
rivalries contributed to the country's disintegration in the 1970s. In 1971, when Idi Amin seized power, the military ruled Uganda for eight years. In the 1990's Uganda has been nvolvement in the civil war in teh Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as the civil war against the Lord's Resistance Army, which has been guilty of numerous crimes against humanity including child slavery and mass murder. Conflict in northern Uganda has killed thousands and displaced millions.
Culture
Owing to the large number of communities, culture within Uganda is diverse. Each ethnic group has its musical history; songs are passed down from generation to generation. Uganda is ethnologically diverse, with at least forty languages in usage. English is the official language of Uganda, even though only a
relatively small proportion of the population speaks it. Access to
economic and political power is almost impossible without having
mastered that language.
In sports, cricket has experienced rapid growth although football is the most popular sport in Uganda. Rally car racing is also a very popular. Hockey is the only Ugandan field sport to date to have qualified for and represented the country at the Olympics.
In Uganda, most food is produced domestically. Popular
dishes include
matoke
(a staple made from bananas), millet bread, cassava (tapioca or manioc),
sweet potatoes, chicken and beef stews, and freshwater fish. Other foods
include white potatoes, yams, corn, cabbage, pumpkin, tomatoes, millet,
peas, sorghum, beans, groundnuts (peanuts), goat meat, and milk.
Respect for human rights in Uganda has been advanced significantly since the mid-1980s. There
are, however, numerous areas which continue to attract concern. Conflict in the northern parts of the country continues to generate reports of abuses by both the rebel Lord's Resistance Army and the Ugandan Army. Recently, grassroots organizations have been attempting to raise
awareness about the children who were kidnapped by the Lord's
Resistance Army to work as soldiers or be used as wives. Thousands of
children as young as eight were captured and forced to kill.
Spiritual Climate
According to the census of 2002, Christians made up about 84% of Uganda's population. The Roman Catholic Church has the largest number of adherents (42%), followed by the Anglican Church of Uganda (36%). The next most reported religion of Uganda is Islam, with Muslims representing 12% of the population. Traditional indigenous beliefs are practiced in some rural areas and
are sometimes blended with or practiced alongside Christianity or Islam. There is a proliferation of religious discourses centering on
spirits, spirit possession, and witchcraft.
In Bantu-speaking societies, many local religions include a belief in a
creator God. Most local religions involve beliefs in ancestral and other
spirits, and people offer prayers and sacrifices to symbolize respect for
the dead and maintain proper relationships among the living. Mbandwa
mediators act on behalf of other believers, using trance or hypnosis and
offering sacrifice and prayer to beseech the spirit world on behalf of the
living.
NMSI Involvement
NMSI first began to work in Uganda in 2008. Our current involvement is with Gaba Bible Institute (GBI) in Kampala. The ministries at Gaba include:
• Leadership Development for pastors and lay leaders
• Training over 110 students from 9 countries including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Philippines.
• Programs in Biblical Studies, Pastoral Ministries and Worship Leading
• Preparing Christian leaders working with children at risk with programs in Child Development and Disability Studies
Prayer Points
• That God would continue to provide faculty and staff with a heart to train up servant leaders
• That God would provide room for us to continue to expand our training facilities to make room for 250 students
• For our graduates serving in the field that they would preach the word with their lives and voices
Ministry Opportunities
Long-term: If you feel called to work or are currently working in a country in this region, please contact our People and Organizational Development Team to explore how NMSI might partner with you.
Uganda Photo Gallery
Sources: Joshua Project, Every Culture—Uganda, CIA World Factbook, US Department of State, Wikipedia
Uganda photo courtesy of Wikipedia
NMSI Missionaries serving in Uganda:
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