Geography

Uganda lies West of Kenya in East-Africa, near the Equator. Uganda consists of a large and mainly green plateau in between the western and eastern foothills of the Great Rift Valley. It is a blessed and fertile land with over 2000 mm? of rainfall per year – on a continent that is constantly struck by drought and famine.

Lakes like “Lake Victoria”, the second largest freshwater-lake in the world, and rivers like the legendary Nile cover 25% of the Lands’ surface.

Luscious rain-forests, Savannahs and semi-deserts accommodate an incomparable variety of animals and plants.

Since peace and security are again prevailing in Uganda the land noticeably gains back its former reputation as a tourist’s paradise. Thousands of Indians and other foreigners (most of them with Asiatic origin), that have been expelled out of the land in the 70's came back and took over and restored their property, land, factories and shops again. Investors from all over the world discover Uganda with its multiple development potentials. And last but not least the Ugandans themselves are the ones who are reaping the fruits of the latest efforts for solid conditions.

Despite suffering under brutal dictatorships and civil wars (under Idi Amin and Dr. Apollo Milton Obote) as well as under the coming up of the HIV-epidemic the Ugandans are friendly and warm-hearted, humorous people.

The official language in Uganda is English spoken by many Ugandans, first of all those in the cities. Most Schools and Universities teach in English. The 30 different native languages are spoken mostly by the rural population.

The Capital Kampala offers almost all comforts of modern life like telecommunications, medical service, car-, train- and air-traffic connections. In the other cities infrastructure is far less developed.

History - A Fight of Faith

Around 1500 years ago the people of the Hima tribe founded their own states. Until the 15th century the first great Kingdom Bunyoro developed on the territory of today’s Uganda. From the second half of the 17th century Buganda became the predominating kingdom. Smaller kingdoms were Ankole, Busoga and Toro.

In 1861 the British John Hanning Speke and James Grant reached the court of Kabaka ( King) Mutesa I. on their search for the spring of the Nile. Kabaka Mutesa I. reigned from 1852 to 1884 and permitted both the Christianisation and the Islamisation.

In the 19th century Great Britain, France and Germany tried to gain the predomination in East-Africa. After first of all Buganda had been adjudged to Great Britain in 1890, the British rule could also be expanded on the kingdoms of Ankole, Busoga, Bunyoro and Toro. In 1896 the Protectorate of Uganda was founded. In 1922 today’s territories of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were united into British East-Africa. After Mutesa II. was claiming independence for Buganda he had to leave the country for two years in 1953 due to pressure of the colonial government. In the course of the efforts for independence the Democratic Party and the Uganda People’s Congress were founded.

When the Gospel came into the land in 1877 there was both radical start and also a spiritual battle with the evil spirits. The first 36 Ugandan martyrs were burned under order of King Mwanga in 1886. Despite this event it turned out what was later known as the roots of East-African revival, which came from Uganda and Ruanda in 1920 and covered wide parts of East-Africa.

The consequence of this revival was that 125 young Ugandans were educated as missionaries and became the first African missionaries that reached their African neighbors. This wave of revival lasted until the 60ies.

In the fifties of the 20th century a strong independence movement came up. After lengthy negotiations the Constitution document was fixed in April 1962 and Milton Obote became President. Though, the political unity was not established yet. In May 1966 Obote dispatched troops into the Kingdom of Buganda and sent the Kabaka (King) into exile. After that a new Republican constitution came into force with the result that the Hima-Kingdoms (Ankole, Buganda, Bunyoro and Toro) were dissolved. Obote took over the position as President of Uganda. Wide parts of the population were discontent about the strict measures for economical restructure. During Obotes’ official visit abroad a military coup took place on January 25th 1971. Idi Amin, commander of the Army, overthrew the government and replaced it by a military dictatorship that lasted altogether eight years. Under him an unprecedented/ incomparable and brutal persecution of any dissenter, especially the Christians, began. Soon, murder, kidnapping, prison and assaults of the people became a daily business. From 1972 onwards he expelled all Asians on which the economy was based. Their possessions were confiscated by the state and the fall of the Nation began. Soon there was absolutely no functioning industry left. Uganda, once called “Pearl of Africa” plunged into anarchy and poverty, inflation and black market became normal. The Western States closed their embassies and imposed an embargo.

Persecutions and Problems

In the year 1972 Amin also expelled the Jews in Uganda and confiscated their possessions and their development projects. In 1973 during the conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis, Amin dispatched a battalion of Ugandan troops to fight against Israel on the side of the Egyptian forces. In 1975 Uganda was working together with the P.L.O. that had kidnapped a French airplane on it’s flight from Tel-Aviv to Paris. Over one hundred Jews were in the plane. It landed on the airport of Entebbe and there the Jews were held back. This was also the place where the famous liberation coup took place when Israeli commandos flew from Tel-Aviv to Entebbe and freed their compatriots from captivity. Unfortunately the commander of the liberation troop, Jonathan Netanyahu ( brother of the later Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) was killed during the action by an Ugandan sniper. Another Jewish woman, Dora Bloch, who was in Mulago National Hospital as a patient, was killed by Amin’s soldiers. Uganda stood ashamed in the public world; the devil seemed to have every right. Without any doubt many curses have come on the land.

This was the time when Uganda would have needed the most help. Unfortunately it was totally refused in these times. The USA, England, France and a number of other States closed their embassies in Uganda and imposed an embargo. The man on the street certainly suffered the whole burden of this treatment. Many Ugandans felt betrayed by their Western friends and a lot of distrust was caused which is still existing today even if it easily disappears, now that the Ugandans look forward into a brighter future.

In 1975 Amin declared Uganda an Islamic State though only 3% of the population were Moslems, only the Catholic and the Anglican Church was tolerated. The Christians were forbidden to pray on any other day than Sunday and outside the Catholic or Anglican Church. Pastors of the other fellowships were persecuted, tortured and some even were killed. Despite those dangers there were people still living on their faith. They went into the underground, all confessional differences disappeared and jungle churches rose up with the 24- hour prayer. This was not an ordinary, short prayer. Those were prayers of pleading and crying out for help.

Amin’s dictatorship found an end in 1979 through troops invading from Tanzania. Peace came back into the land and the religious freedom was restored. Until a new dictator Dr. Apollo Milton Obote and the People’s Congress Party took over the power in 1980. A civil-war broke out. Whole villages were extinguished, houses burned. The people had to leave their homes to find shelter in refugee camps or they were ruthlessly killed.

The prayers that have been ignored in the short period of peace were taken up again even with more intensity and depth. Many of the churchmen and intercessors who frankly spoke about the abuse of human rights or prayed against it disappeared or died of different crimes.

The resistance army under Yoweri Museveni ( N.R.A.) overthrew the regime of Obote. This fall brought a fundamental change in the land. The land has become safe again and the freedom of speech and religious freedom has been restored. The economy slowly began to recover.

With the epidemic appearance of AIDS new problems arose for the nation. Much more than all overcome wars AIDS has left its’ mark in the whole land. The land got full of orphans no one could take care of. Many children became street-kids who had to provide for themselves. Some of the older girls turned into prostitution, some of the boys became criminals. The drug abuse strongly increased.

Experts of the WHO predicted that the land would collapse in the year 1997. One third of the population would die of the HIV-Virus, another third would fall ill and the last third would be too weak to maintain the economy.

The Winds of Change

The government couldn’t see any way out so the politicians called together the church leadership and asked them to do something against those desperate human conditions. Many churches built up orphanages and rehabilitation centers; the challenge exceeded the available funds.

Despite the awful prognosis of the WHO the intercessors didn’t give up. A new wave of revival is moving throughout the land touching all classes of population still today.
Politicians and Christians started a public campaign for integrity and ethics together that meanwhile took grasp of the whole country. Many corrupt statesmen, politicians and civil servants had to resign already.
Further, the government and the churches decided together to follow a double strategy:
Quotation: “Condoms and moral changes through ethical renewal and turning back to biblical values.”

The success is phenomenal: the AIDS-rate is the only decreasing in Africa, the dark prognosis didn’t come true and the WHO faces a mystery and a little helpless scrutinizes the “exemplary phenomenon of Uganda”. The inflation-rate decreased from 380% after the civil war down to 6-8 % today. The IMF and the Worldbank today regard Uganda as an “outstanding example for economic expansion”.

Despite this expansion the Ugandans are depending on foreign help. Still civil war and AIDS are leaving a mark in the families. The providing for many families is not assured due to the loss of one or both parents. There are still thousands of orphans. Most of them are supported by their relatives who can often give them nothing but the bare vital necessities because their income is often barely sufficient to provide for their own family. As a consequence many of those children cannot go to school and the future prospects are very bad for them.

The national-flag

In a white circle the crested crane is to be seen on the black, yellow and red striped flag. Black means the people of the land, yellow means the sunshine and red means the blood that has been shed in the battle for independence.