This timeline of Uganda History is a work in progress. It sets out major events after 1939 that contribute to the story of the nation. As we learn, from the Young Reporter interviews, what ordinary Ugandans remember as the important events in their lives, additions will be made to the timeline. We will choose those developments that concern and affect large numbers of people. It is intended that the timeline will give young people some knowledge of major events in Uganda and guide them in their investigations of history through the oral accounts of older members of their family and community.
ACTIVITY
Study in small groups the timeline of events below and pick out those that you think will be most likely to have a lasting long-term effect on future lives and well-being in Uganda. Compare the events chosen by different groups and try to reach a common understanding of what sorts of events are “history-making”.
An Overview of Ugandan History
EVENTS IN UGANDA SINCE 1939
1939-1945 Second World War
1945 End of World War II – Strikes and disturbances about food prices and low wages
1946
1947
1948
1949 Further Disturbances
1950
1951 Idi Amin became Heavyweight boxing champion
1952Â Â Â Andrew Cohen, new British Governor appointed to prepare Uganda for Independence
1952 Murchison and Kazinga/Queen Elizabeth were created as Uganda’s first National Parks
1952 Uganda Development Corporation Established
1953 Start of ‘Kabaka Crisis’ November: Kabaka Mutesa II deported
1954 Nalubaale Power Station at Owen Falls, Jinja was completed
1955 End of 1900 ‘Buganda Agreement’ Kabaka returns
1956
1957 Andrew Cohen, ends time as British Governor
1958 Territory-wide elections to the Legislative Assembly – except Buganda
1959 Life Expectancy from birth is 40.8 years
1960
1961 March elections: boycotted in Buganda: won by Ben Kiwanuka, Democratic Party
1962 25 April: elections won by Milton Obote and UPC (and Kabaka Yekka Party)
1962 9 October: Independence Day
1964
1965
1966 Destruction of Buganda Kingdom Flight of Kabaka Mutesa II
1967 Milton Obote issues Common Man’s Charter and New constitution
1967 The East African Community (EAC) of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda established with a common shilling.
1967 Traditional Tribal Kingdoms abolished by Obote
1968
1969
1970 Nationalisation of major industries
1971 25 January: Military coup brings Idi Amin to power
1972 4 August Amin gives Uganda’s Asians 90 days to leave the country
1973 14,300 elephants in Murchison Falls National Park
1974
1975
1977 East African Community disbanded
1978
1980 1,400 elephants left in Murchison Falls National Park but no longer any rhinos
1980 Average Life Expectancy from birth was 52 years
1982
1983
1984 Ethiopian famine extends to Karamoja 1984-5
1985 28 July Obote ousted in military coup by the Okello brothers
1986 26 January NRA take Kampala, 29 January Yoweri Museveni declared President
1986 Alice Lakwena led a Christian Fundamentalist revolt in Northern Uganda. It was defeated in 1987
1987 Joseph Kony took over as Head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
1988
1989 11-28 February Elections to National Resistance Council (no parties allowed)
1990
1991 Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park was established
1992 Coffee market restructured as Marketing Board closed
1993
1994 Average Life Expectancy from birth fell to 40 years following HIV/AIDS epidemic
1994 Ronald Mutebi returned as Kabaka of Buganda
1994 28 March Elections for Constituent Assembly
1995 New constitution: Two term limit for presidency
1995 Inflation 6% after averaging 92% in previous 15 years
1996 Presidential election Museveni beats Paul Ssemogerere
1996 Universal Primary Education programme begins
1996 20% of Kampala’s population HIV positive
1996 LRA rebels force tens of thousands from their homes and abduct children to become fighters
1997 Education Sector Strategic Plan
1997 Economic Impact of AIDS – 11% of children orphaned
1997 Ugandan troops help depose Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, who is replaced by Laurent Kabila
1998 Universal Primary Education Programme Initiated
1999 Feb 14, Two bombs exploded in Kampala bars – 5 killed and 35 injured
1999 Kiira Dam built alongside Owen Falls Dam at Jinja
2000 Kanungu massacre by religious fanatics
2000 Referendum on the constitution
2000 Fall in number in absolute poverty to 33%
2001 Presidential election Museveni beats Kizza Besigye
2001 East African Community (EAC) inaugurated in Arusha, Tanzania
2002
2003
2004 LRA rebels slaughter more than 200 people at a camp for displaced people in Northern Uganda
2005 Parliament lifts two-term restriction on presidency
2006   Presidential election  Museveni beats Besigye
2007 Uganda opens anti-retroviral drugs factory to treat AIDS patients
2008 Creation of Uganda National Roads Authority
2008 Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army sign a ceasefire at talks in Juba, Sudan
2009 Female circumcision made illegal
2009 Uganda Army withdraws from D.R. Congo
2010 Two bomb attacks by Al-Shebab on people watching World Cup final in Kampala kill at least 74 people.
2011
2012 Bujagali Hydro Electricity Dam
2013
2014 Average Life Expectancy from Birth rises to 54
2015 Uganda’s elephant population recovering
2016 General election
2016 Clashes between tribal king of Rwenzururu in western Uganda and security forces
2017 Constitutional Amendment extending Presidential Term of Office
2017 Uganda withdraws troops from Central African Republic
2018 East African Floods
2019