Uganda is named after the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country, including the capital Kampala. The people of Uganda were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when Bantu-speaking populations migrated to the southern parts of the country.

Beginning in 1894, the area was ruled as a protectorate by the UK, which established administrative law across the territory. Uganda gained independence from the UK on 9 October 1962. The period since then has been marked by violent conflicts, including an eight-year-long military dictatorship led by Idi Amin.

The official languages are English and Swahili, although “any other language” may be used as a medium of instruction in schools or other educational institutions or for legislative, administrative or judicial purposes as may be prescribed by law.”^[11][12] Luganda, a central region-based language, is widely spoken across the Central and South Eastern regions of the country, and several other languages are also spoken, including Lango, Acholi, Runyoro, Runyankole, Rukiga, Luo^[4] and Lusoga.

Uganda’s current president is Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who took power in January 1986 after a protracted six-year guerrilla war. Following constitutional amendments that removed term limits for the president, he was able to stand and was elected president of Uganda in the 2011, 2016 and in the 2021 general elections.^[13]

FOOD

Uganda has a lot of fertile agricultural land which can grow anything thus a great variety food. The most common food grown is Matooke (green banana) which is peeled at the time of preparing and steamed in the banana leaves. It’s either served the way it is or mashed plus source either beef stew, beans, G.nuts etc. Posho which is made from maize is also common and prepared in most schools since it’s cheap.

Fruits like the Pineapple, water melon, yellow bananas and mangoes are also common and can be bought from food markets like Owino & Nakasero. The Lake Victoria & other lakes have a lot of fish including the ‘tilapia’ – a tasty fresh water fish that can be deep fried or cooked. Other foods include ‘Chicken Luwombo’ – which is chicken sauce prepared in banana leaves. The ‘Rolex’, a popular street delicacy and snack is also popular in Uganda and was listed among the top African fast foods by CNN.

Daily life and social customs

In the countryside, the year is filled with a variety of festivals and ritual celebrations, including marriage “introductions,” weddings, births, christenings, and other familial gatherings. As in other places, the agricultural year is marked by a number of important events that require social gatherings. Other holidays, celebrated nationwide, are drawn from the Christian and Muslim calendars or commemorate events in Ugandan history, such as Martyrs’ Day (June 3rd), Heroes’ Day (June 9th), and Independence Day (October 9th).

 

The staple diet in most of the south is a kind of plantain called matoke, which is cooked in stews and curries; a Buganda legend relates that one of the first acts of the first man on earth, Kintu, was to plant a matoke tree for his descendants to enjoy. Sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, and cassava are consumed along with a variety of vegetables. The central market in Kampala—Nakasero—offers an extensive array of vegetables and fruits, some of which are imported from neighbouring countries. Most northerners eat millet, sorghum, cornmeal, and cassava together with local vegetables.

The pastoral communities tend to consume animal-derived products, especially butter, meat, and animal blood. Fish is eaten by a number of groups, and a favourite dish is luombo, a spicy stew steamed in banana leaves. Banana leaves also figure in another favourite, oluwombo, made of rice, chicken, and toma

Sources: Google, Wikipedia, Britannica, Nationonline,  https://primateworldsafaris.com/about-uganda/