National Politics
Uganda is a former British colony which gained its independence on October 9th, 1962. The period after independence has seen many conflicts which have served to destabilize society. In 1966, Milton Obote became President of Uganda only to be overthrown by Idi Amin, who declared himself President for life in 1976. In 1979, the Amin regime was toppled by a coalition of Ugandan rebels and Tanzanian troops, and Obote was reinstated as President in 1980 after winning the elections. Five years later, Obote was violently deposed and replaced by General Tito Okello, who ruled for only one year before being forced out by the National Resistance Army (NRA). In 1986, Yoweri Museveni, the leader of the NRA, was declared President and has served as head of state ever since. In the late 1980s, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), lead by Joseph Kony, began its rebellion against President Museveni and the Ugandan government. The LRA terrorized northern Uganda for many years and committed numerous war crimes, including the conscription of child soldiers, until 2002, when the government launched "Operation Iron Fist" which aimed at wiping out the LRA for good. Since 2007, the LRA has greatly decreased in size and has mostly fled to neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo; currently, the LRA is estimated to have between 150 and 300 armed fighters in addition to hundreds of captive children and adults.
With the exception of the war with the LRA, Museveni's rule has brought relative stability to Uganda. A series of market reforms has resulted in impressive progress in terms of privatization, decentralization and liberalization of the economy, which in turn has allowed the private sector, civil society and NGOs to flourish. Museveni's tenure has also witnessed one of the most effective national responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic within Africa. In 1990, the HIV/AIDS infection rate was at a high of 16% but has since dropped to 7% and has remained at that level for the past six years.
Despite these remarkable advancements, Uganda continues to face problems with regard to politics. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Museveni have been in power since 1986 and ran the government as a "no party system" until 2005. In 2004, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was founded and continues to be the main opposition party. However, it is relatively weak compared to the NRM and has very little real political power. Although the NRM opened the political arena in 2005, the party also abolished presidential term limits that same year and adopted political reforms which favor President Museveni's incumbency. The NRM's regime system also represses, obstructs, and intimidates opposition activists. Numerous international agencies have reported unlawful arrests and beatings of opposition politicians and their supporters at the hands of the police, the military and armed civilian militias. Many scholars have argued that the period of turmoil before the NRM's ascension to power as well as the repressive tactics used by President Musevini and his government since 1986 has led to a culture of political apathy and fear among the general population.
With the exception of the war with the LRA, Museveni's rule has brought relative stability to Uganda. A series of market reforms has resulted in impressive progress in terms of privatization, decentralization and liberalization of the economy, which in turn has allowed the private sector, civil society and NGOs to flourish. Museveni's tenure has also witnessed one of the most effective national responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic within Africa. In 1990, the HIV/AIDS infection rate was at a high of 16% but has since dropped to 7% and has remained at that level for the past six years.
Despite these remarkable advancements, Uganda continues to face problems with regard to politics. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Museveni have been in power since 1986 and ran the government as a "no party system" until 2005. In 2004, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was founded and continues to be the main opposition party. However, it is relatively weak compared to the NRM and has very little real political power. Although the NRM opened the political arena in 2005, the party also abolished presidential term limits that same year and adopted political reforms which favor President Museveni's incumbency. The NRM's regime system also represses, obstructs, and intimidates opposition activists. Numerous international agencies have reported unlawful arrests and beatings of opposition politicians and their supporters at the hands of the police, the military and armed civilian militias. Many scholars have argued that the period of turmoil before the NRM's ascension to power as well as the repressive tactics used by President Musevini and his government since 1986 has led to a culture of political apathy and fear among the general population.
Kingdoms and Tribes
There are four traditional kingdoms within Uganda which have received local and international recognition. The kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro-Kitara, Busoga, and Toro, though not fully politically sovereign, do have considerable political influence. Their kings regularly meet with leaders from the national government and continue to have influence over members of their respective kingdoms. The Buganda kingdom is the largest of the subnational kingdoms and covers about 17% of the population of the country. The majority of the population within Kampala are part of the Buganda kingdom and highly revere their king, the Kabaka. Culturally speaking, it is very important for one to know his or her kingdom and clan history, otherwise people begin to doubt whether he or she really is a Ugandan.
Given that people have relatively strong ties to their respective kingdoms, a strong national identity has not been established. This has become problematic, especially during elections, because politicians have appealed to constituents' ethnic and linguistic identities in order to garner the most votes. This lack of national identity and cross cutting cleavages has sometimes led to suspicion and even violence among various groups.
Given that people have relatively strong ties to their respective kingdoms, a strong national identity has not been established. This has become problematic, especially during elections, because politicians have appealed to constituents' ethnic and linguistic identities in order to garner the most votes. This lack of national identity and cross cutting cleavages has sometimes led to suspicion and even violence among various groups.