By Mustapha Jobarteh
Introduction
Uganda is a landlocked East African country situated on the equator, and derives its name from the kingdom of Buganda which was one of the many large, centralised kingdoms that were formed on the land as early as 1200. Neighbouring countries are Kenya to the east, South Sudan to the north, Rwanda and Tanzania to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) to the west. Uganda has a low-income economy, and it is a member of the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA). Uganda is considered a democracy although its journey has been marred by military coups, political instability and unstable regimes since the abrogation of the 1962 constitution. The 2005 constitutional amendment marked the beginning of multiparty democracy which replaced the ‘movement system’, where a candidate stands as an individual to be elected on personal merits and not as a member of a political party.
The country has an independent judiciary provided for by the constitution, with the Supreme Court as the constitutional and final court of appeal. Accorded limited jurisprudence on criminal and civil matters, the Magistrate Courts appeal to the High Court and the High Court to the Supreme Court. The current unicameral parliament consists of 556 members, of which there are 353 constituency representatives, 146 women representatives, 28 ex-officio members — who do not vote — and five representatives each for youth, workers, older persons and persons with disabilities. The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force has 10 seats.
The country has a total land area of 241 038 km with large freshwater bodies and wetlands. Its lakes include Lakes 2 Victoria, Edward, Albert Kwania, Kygo, Kwania, Kojweri and Murlu. Uganda’s tropical climate means that average temperatures are warm and pleasant all year round, averaging 18°C to 28°C. The country has abundant natural resources and a variety of flora and fauna. In 2006, oil reserves were discovered on Lake Albert along Uganda’s western border with the DR Congo. Efforts to explore the reserves are bearing fruit, with the French company TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation signing a US$10-billion agreement to develop the oilfields and ship the crude oil through a 1 400 km pipeline to the Tanga port in Tanzania. The crude oil will be transported through the massive East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP). However, efforts are being hindered as the European Union Parliament told France’s Total Energies to halt activities due to environmental concerns in 2022.
