Governmental Structure of Uganda
... This paper will discuss the background, governmental structure, and political issues of Uganda to inform the reader, and to determine whether Uganda is a democratic form of government. Four main ethnic groups comprise the population of Uganda: the Bantus, the Nilotics, the NiloHamitics, and the Sudanics. ... At the time of Uganda’s first exploration, there were three main kingdoms, each ruled by a Monarch and differing in their laws and customs. ... The first European to set foot in what is presently considered Uganda was Giovani Miani. Between 1849 and 1855, many German missionaries sent reports back to Europe of great lakes and snowy mountains a few weeks’ journey inland from the coast, and word began to spread about Uganda. In the year 1894, Uganda was officially named a British Protectorate and it was not until October 9, 1962, that Uganda gained its independence from Britain and became a self-sustaining nation.1 In 1971, President Obote was dealing with many problems in the nation, including the uniting of Uganda. ... Amin also set up a form of ethnic cleansing by expelling nearly all of the 50,000 Asians in Uganda and seizing their property to be controlled by the military, not benefiting the "common man" as had been suggested. In an effort to gain support from Libya and Saudi Arabia, Amin began to pay more attention to the formerly deprived Muslims of Uganda. Amin viewed the Christian churches in Uganda as possible centers for opposition to his regime, and many priests and ministers disappeared during the course of the 1970s. 1978 brought what would seem to be the end of Amins reign in Uganda, as those closest to him began to dwindle in numbers due to defections and executions. After an attack on Tanzania in late 1978, the Tanzanian President Nyerere mobilized his citizen army reserves and counterattacked, joined by Ugandan exiles united as the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). The UNLA took Kampala, the capitol of Uganda, and ultimately ended Amins eight year reign.2 Currently, the largest ethnic group in Uganda is the Buganda people and the other prominent ones are the Toro, the Bunyankole, the Acholi, the Busoga, and the Lugbara. ... There is, however, no nationally recognized religion of Uganda. ... 3 The fight for self-rule in Uganda brought about many political parties in the 1950s. Among these are as follows: the Uganda National Congress, the Uganda People’s Congress, the Democratic Party, and the Kabaka Yekka, which later became the Conservative Party.1 As attention is shifted to examine the actual structure of the government of Uganda, it should be noted that there are three branches of government: the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial.