So you're moving to Uganda...KARIBU! Safari Njema! Have a Good Journey!

Contents
History Language Kampala Popular Destinations Safety Weather Banks Clubs Domestic Staff Electricity	Embassy Registration Furniture and Applicances Health Hotels Housing Moving to Uganda Newspapers and Magazines Schools Special Occasions Restaurants	Telephones Faxes/E-mail Water Vehicles Driving Licenses Currency Exchange Pets Corruption
More information on Uganda: Commonwealth Uganda | Africa on Line: Uganda

Congratulations and Welcome!
Congratulations and Welcome! You are embarking on an unforgettable journey to one of the most exotic and exciting countries in the world. Your memories of this extraordinary country and its peoples will be vivid and with you for the rest of your life. Nothing is monochrome in this fabulous part of Africa where the colours of everyday life are both brilliant and sometimes very blue. Never boring, Uganda will richly reward the curious and can drive those seeking normalcy right up the wall.

The aim of this information is to make those moving to Uganda more aware of typical problems that can be encountered and overcome in day to day life and is perhaps more useful to those who will be residing in Kampala. Let us presume that your company has already found you accommodation in an expatriate-type area and that it is ready for your occupation........

History
Uganda was declared a British Protectorate in 1894 along with Kenya and the Islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. The numerically and politically dominant Buganda were chosen as the ruling class. After independence in 1962, this dominant position seemed secure: however Milton Obote, from the northern Lango and first Prime Minister, overthrew the Kabaka of Buganda, proclaimed himself President and abolished the Buganda Monarchy. In 1971, the army Chief of Staff, Idi Amin staged a coup d'état against Obote and immediately started the first reign of terror. The economy collapsed and the country literally fell apart. In 1979 with the help of Tanzanian troops, several groups in Uganda banded together to overthrow Amin. With the return of Obote, the second reign of terror took place, this time directed at the Baganda and the West Nilers. Obote was overthrown by the army led by Tito Okello and soon, Yoweri Museveni's NRA took power and prepared a new constitution. Truly remarkable progress has been made by President Museveni's government since 1986 and is returning Uganda to a model of success both socially and economically with astonishing growth rates of 6-7%!

Language
The official language of Uganda is English. There has been much discussion concerning Uganda's official African language in parliament recently with a strong lobby to make Luganda the recognized local language. However, because the issue is so delicate, Swahili is generally recognized as the second language of Uganda. Don't confuse Swahili spoken in Uganda with KiSwahili spoken in Tanzania. Ugandan Swahili is a greatly simplified tongue that is mostly understood across the country albeit that it is a second and sometimes third learned language for Ugandans. English is widely spoken in most business and tourist areas, but outside those places, try leaning some useful and much appreciated Swahili phrases. Your efforts will endear you to Ugandans and will elicit many a rewarding smile - albeit that they may not understand a word of what you are saying. Swahili language tapes are available in most of the better book shops in New York, L.A, London and Toronto. Alternatively, "Speak Swahili Perfectly in a Couple of Hours" type books are available in most book shops overseas. The selection in Kampala is improving.

Kampala
The remarkable progress being made by Uganda is perhaps best seen in Kampala (some times called the "Big Matooke" or the City of the Seven Hills. Kampala is laid out with wide tree-lined streets and green park areas, but it seems inevitable with the new growth that large new buildings will loose Kampala its special , if somewhat faded elegance. The onetime telephone "system", street lighting and sewer system are all being replaced causing roads and sidewalks to be ripped up at astonishing speed causing much disruption to traffic and pedestrians. Kampala was said to have been built on seven hills. Nakasero Hill is the central hill on which the important government ministries, embassies better hotels are found. Makerere University, once set academic standards for the entire anglophone continent south of the Sahara and many of today's Africa leaders and elite were educated there. It still manages to function today despite severe financial constraints.

Popular Destinations
Uganda boasts some of the most beautiful countryside and best game parks in the world. Make sure you visit Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park with its famous boat ride on the Kazinga channel and the mighty Rwenzori Mountains for serious outdoor people!

Safety
Uganda is generally a safe country and is entirely different from the "bad old days". However normal precautions should be taken in Kampala at night. Like all other African countries, the burgeoning rural population encourages the young to throng the pavements of gold and unemployment has become has become unacceptably high for both the work-hungry and those who are not. Although muggings are infrequent, it is sensible, for example, not to wear a visible watch while driving in the not-so-friendly parts of town: that watch could feed a snatch-and-grabber for a month or two. And the same goes for jewelry. Keep well clear of the northern frontier districts where skirmishes can still erupt from time to time

Weather
There is very little seasonal variation in the climate which is warm and slightly humid. Average daily temperatures vary between about 30C/86F maximum and 20C/77F minimum. The annual average temperatures in Kampala is about 25C/77F. Rainfall is fairly evenly spread throughout the year but dry spells occur particularly in the early months of the year. There are two rainy periods, the "short rains" from mid-March to the start of May and a longer period from the end of September until December. Kampala experiences many lake storms, occasionally violent, with heavy rain and thunder, mostly short-lived.

Banks
Banks are more and more prolific, the best known being

Bank of Baroda Bank of Uganda Barclays Bank Citibank Uganda

East Africa Development Stanbic Bank StandardChartered Uganda Commercial

Clubs
Clubs and Sporting Clubs are very popular in Uganda and form the principal avenues of the social life of the expatriate. They year-long sunshine encourages participationary sports that are available at the Kaazi Sailing Club, the Entebbe Sailing Club, The Uganda Golf Club, American Recreation Club (tennis), the Kololo Club for squash, the Kampala Rugby Club as well as a Hash House Harrier club, (drinking joggers). In addition soccer, cricket and field hockey clubs are present as well as the Mountain Club of Uganda. Social Clubs include the British High Commission Club, the American Recreation Association Club, the Kabira Club, the Kampala amateur Dramatic Society and a host of others.

Entebbe Golf Club	9 Holes	Entebbe Road
Hash Hound Harriers	Running and quenching	The Surgery Par'mt Hill
Kampala Aeroclub	Flying lessons	Airport extension
Kampala Club	Active Squash Ladder	Ternan Avenue
Kampala Golf Club	18 Hole city centre	Kitante Road
Garuga Golf Club	18 Hole by the lake	Entebbe Road
Lugogo Rugby Club	Regular games	Rotary Avenue
Lugogo Tenis Club	And badminton	Lugogo By-Pass
Muyenga Club	Swimming etc.	Tank Hill
Sheraton Hotel	Swimming etc.	Sheraton Hotel
Silver Springs Hotel	Swimming etc.	Old Port Bell Road
Speke Marina Riding Stables	Riding with lessons	Lake Victoria
Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel	Swimming and boards	Entebbe

Domestic Staff
It is common to employ house staff, cooks, gardeners and security guards. Salaries are extremely reasonable and they add greatly to the quality of life overseas. -So think twice about taking the washer and dryer. Those expatriates who are leaving Uganda always try to find good employment for their reliable staff after their departure and you should have no problem finding recommended help with good references; look on you embassy or High Commission's notice board for starters. Nannies are wonderful with children.

Electricity
All of Uganda's grid electricity is supplied from the Owen Falls dam at Jinja, but it is not enough and power brown-outs or shedding can occur between 7 and 10 pm in areas that are not deemed to be strategic. The extension to the dam, completed in 2001 has alleviated much of the power shortages. Supply is meant to be 220/240 volts AC 50 cycles but it can vary quite considerably. Voltage still fluctuates wildly from 60 to 600 volts so voltage stabilizers are absolutely vital for TVs, stereos, computers and recommended for fridges. Power plugs/sockets are mostly of the square three-pin British type and light bulb fittings are generally of the bayonet type. The bad news is that power cuts are an every day event usually last for severl hours at a time so many people have their own locally available generators or locally available "inverters" (a truck battery that is charges while power is there, and translates 12Vs into 220V when required for limited applications).

Embassy Registration
It's always a good idea to register with your Embassy or High Commission as soon as you arrive in Uganda. Not only is it appreciated by the mission, but also a good way to meet other nationals at the drink parties that are held from time to time. Most of the diplomatic missions are fairly laid-back in Kampala and are much more helpful than in other larger countries.

Furniture and Appliances
Simple furniture is available in Kampala. Design and quality are improving, and good strong mahogany pieces are available. If you enjoy watching your favorite videos, it may be worth bringing your PAL system television and VCR with a 220V converter. Local television is somewhat amateur. 220V appliances are available, but expensive. Video and DVD rental shops are available in Kampala. DSTV has brought satellite television to Uganda, and they offer over 30 channels to choose from. Remember that in many cases, large refrigerators and stoves do not fit into the niches provided in some kitchens and washer/dryers are a mixed blessing.

Health
Well, there are plenty of very nasty bugs, parasites and viruses to keep you on your toes, but it's not really the end of the world unless you get malaria or a serious amoebic complaint. And there are "dawas" (medicines) that can fix them in nearly all cases. Cleaned foods and clean liquids will be the best defense with good advice from a local doctor for malarial protection are the best protection.

Doctors
Dr, R. Stockley and Dr. Ehlardt	GPs	Tel 256003
Dr. Oliver	GP	Tel 075-756003 British High Commission Bldg
Dr. E. Kasirye	Paed	Tel 244009
Dr. A. Shirazi	Ortho	Tel 231254
Victoria Clinic		Tel 041-235546
Dr. Musawwir Ahmed	Dentist	Tel 256880
Dr. P. Okello Aliker	Dentist	Tel 254858

Hotels
The Sheraton (claims to be 5 stars, but this must be based on Ugandan standards) is the best hotel in Kampala and will cost you around $170 per night for a single and $10 more for one of their doubles. The hotel boasts magnificent grounds and had been recently refurbished.. Other hotels, certainly not up to the Sheraton are:

• The Nile hotel $ 180 per double, smart, clean,
• The Equatoria, $85 per double, smart clean,
• The Fariway, $82 for double, new pool,
• The Diplomat, double $50, superb views,
• The Athena Club, double $70 for full board, next to golf club,
• The Speke Hotel, double $50, old hotel under renovation, opposite Sheraton.

If you're a foreigner, you must settle your bill in hard currency in all hotels.

KAMPALA
Athina Club, Windsor Crescent	Tel 235812	Fax 241428
The Diplomat Hotel, Tank Hill	Tel 25641	Fax 255288
Fairway Hotel, 1 Kafu Hill	Tel 259571/4	Fax 234160
Grand Imperial, Nile Avenue	Tel 250681/4	Fax 250606
Hill Crest Hotel, 31 Nakasero Road	Tel 343624	Fax 269616
Hotel International, Tank Hill Road	Tel 266924	Fax 250146
Kabira Club, Old Kira Road, Bukoto	Tel 543481/3	Fax 541257
Nile Hotel International, Nile Avenue	Tel 235900/9	Fax 259130
Sheraton Kampala, Ternan Avenue	Tel 344590/6	Fax 256696
Shires Country Club, Tank Hill	Tel 267145	Fax 267159
Silver Springs Hotel, Port Bell Road	Tel 221231	Fax 236361
Speke Hotel, 7/9 Nile Avenue	Tel 235332	Fax 235345
ENTEBBE
Botanical Beach Hotel	Tel 320800	Fax 320832
Entebbe Flight Motel	Tel 320812	Fax 320241
Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel	Tel 320645	Fax 320404
JINJA
Crested Crane Hotel, Hannington Square	Tel (043)20891
Hotel Triangle, 5, Lubogo Road	Tel/Fax (043)21051
Sunset Hotel, 16/17 Kiira Road	Tel (043)20575
Kingfisher Safaris	Tel 077632063

Housing
Adequate expatriate housing in 2003 is a little more plentiful and less expensive than before. Many new rental houses have come onto the market recently and local real estate agents will be pleased to show you a good selection. There are four parameters that govern house or apartment hunting in Uganda and they are:

• Location and Commute
• Electricity and constant Water Supply
• Security
• Telephone

Much of the housing in Kampala is available through referrals and word of mouth. A good place to start is the various club notice boards: not doubt your company has contacts that will yield some properties to inspect.

As a rule of thumb, suitable houses range from US$ 1,500 - 2,000 per month. Remember that these prices do not generally include furniture, a working telephone, appliances, electricity costs and most-times, security guards. If the premises boasts a working telephone, it is a major advantage. It is essential to have security guards as pilferage and theft is endemic. Security alarm companies enjoy great success in Kampala but they should only be an addition to your own guards in most cases. Landlords frequently demand three, six and sometimes 12 months rent in advance. It is important to try to pay as little in advance as possible which might encourage the lessor to undertake repairs should anything go wrong during the term of the lease. It may be a good idea to discuss with the landlord some kind of discount off your rent if you include some mildew-proof exterior paint in your household effects as you can be sure that any painting done prior to your occupancy will deteriorate badly within a short period.

The leading Estate Agent is Knight Frank International Property Consultants, 4 Kimathi Avenue Tel 341382 & 341 391 and email@knightfrank.co.ug

Moving to Uganda
Choose a quality mover for your relocation to Uganda. Worldwide Movers is the leading professional international moving company in the country and we have seen all sorts of insufficiently packed shipments arrive by air and sea. Select a moving company that specializes in overseas moves: they know how to pack and they know how to load your possessions to prevent damages. We would suggest that you designate and international mover that belongs to the Fédération Internationale des Déménageurs Internationaux (F.I.D.I.): membership manifests competency. Don't worry about customs clearance and delivery, we do it every day.

Newspapers and Magazines
Uganda produces an astonishing array of newspapers, broadsheets and magazines both in English and vernacular languages. The most popular English language newspaper is a tabloid, "The New Vision", a government owned daily whose editorials manage to maintain some degree of independence and has improved in content and quality recently. There is also the "Monitor" and independent twice weekly and the lively weekly "Ugandan Confidential". Imported newspapers and magazines include Newsweek and Time and some foreign newspapers are available at the Sheraton. We would suggest that, if interested, you should subscribe to your local newspaper before leaving for Uganda. The post office is slow but fairly reliable. To keep up to date with the latest news, many residents take a short-wave radio with them that provide hourly newscasts emitted by the BBC, VOA, Radio Canada, RAI, RFI and others.

Schools
There are now an increasing number of schools which offer reasonable facilities for multi-national children in Kampala. All schools run their academic year from September to late June/early July, with three terms with approximate dates as follow: term 1 = 5 September - 9 December; term 2 = 9 January - 24 March; term 3 = 24 April - 30 June. Here is a list of the leading schools:

• The Acorns International Pre-School, 35 Nakasero Road, Tel 230797. Places for children from 1 to 6 years.
• Ambrosoli International School, 10/12 Binayomba Street, Tel 220416. For children from 2 to 13 years.
• French School, Lugoyo By-Pass, Tel 341660. For francophone children of 2 and above. No immersion classes.
• The Honneytree Montessori Pre-School, 950 Kisugu Road, Tel 268068. Offers places 2-6 years old.
• Heritage International School, Kutta Road, Muyenga. Tel 266041/2. Offers places from 3 years and above.
• Kabira International School, Old Kira Road, Bukoto, Tel 530472, 543445. Opened 1963, coeducational, pre-school to Grade 7 (12 years). British National curriculum. About 8 km north of Kampala sharing extensive facilities with adjacent Kabira Club. Fees about $ 1,00 for pre-school to $ 5,100 for Grades 4-7. Call Rob Freeth or email to kisu@imul.com.
• Lincoln International School, 41 Kira Road, Kitante Valley, Tel 254900, 222095. Opened in 163, coeducational day school to grade 10 (16 years), 290 pupils, 42 nationalities. Mostly north American curriculum. Also common entrance curriculum for UK public schools. Fees vary from $2,163 for pre-school to $6,789 for grades 6 through 10.
• Rainbow Academy, Tel 269697, 268003. Opened 1991. Generally follow British National curriculum and currently has around 170 pupils. Around 50% are Ugandan, and 10% British the remainder from 20 other nations. There is an expansion planned to be completed by the end of 1996. Fees: Kindergarten about 1,300 to $2,609 for Upper School (age 11/14 years).

Ballet Lessons: Kyadondo Road, Nakasero, Tel 349382
Riding Lessons: Speke Equestrian Centre, Tel 268956, 268929. Riding lessons or pony rides, 7 days a week.

Special Occasions
Many a time one hears "I wish I brought that with me from home!". Invariably, its food items that were forgotten, so if you enjoy pumpkin pie, haggis or confit of goose, take it with you in cans. Out-of-the-ordinary goods are simply not available anywhere in Uganda. Your friends will enjoy the additions too.

Restaurants
Kampala is not one of the world's prime destination for gourmets. The good news is that new restaurants are appearing and now offer honest Italian, Chinese, Indo/Pakistani and International cuisines. Prices by north American standards are reasonable and downright inexpensive with a European purse. A recent restaurant survey showed the Maharaja to be the best bet in town followed by three Chinese (Fang Fang, Great Wall and the China Palace) and a plethora of other Indian and Chinese concerns. Run of the mill type wines are available from South Africa and this is punctuated with the occasional bright spots heralded by French wines from time to time. Beers, local and a variety of imported are freely available as are most liquors in restaurants and grocery stores.

7 Cooper Road, Int'l	Kisementi	Tel 235134 10,000/-+
Le Chateau	Ggaba Rd., Kabalagala	Tel 268215 30,000/-+
Café Roma	Tank Hill Parade	Tel 077 501 847 10,000/-+
Villa Flora	Garden City	Tel 347273 15,000/-+
The China Palace	3 Pilkington Road	Tel 250888 10,000/-+
Crocodile, Int'l	21 Cooper Road, Kisementi	Tel 254593 10,000/-+
Fang Fang Chinese	3rd Fl. Greenland Towers	Tel 344806 15,000/-+
The Gallery Café	Maksaka Road	Tel 272021 12,000/-+
Haandi Indian	Commercial Plaza	Tel 346284 15,000/-+
Krua Thai	Windson Crescent	Tel 347273 10/000/-+
La Fontaine, Int'l	6 Bukoto Street	Tel 077-406197 15,000/-+
Lion Restaurant	Sheaton Hotel	Tel 344590/9 30,000/-+
Lobby Café	Sheraton Hotel	Tel 344590/9 12,000/-+
Maharaja Indian	Speke Hotel	Tel 235332 15,000/-+
Mama Mia Pizza	Speke Hotel	Tel 235332 9,000/-+
Mamba Point	22A Akii Bua Road	Tel 343225 15,000/-+
Rhino Pub	Sheraton Hotel	Tel 344590/9 5,000/-+
Shanghai Chinese	Ternan Avenue	Tel 250336 10,000/-+
Rock Garden Café	Speke Hotel	Tel 075-789987 10,000/-+
Steers Food Court	Kampala Road	Tel 343224 10,000/-+
Taj Mahal Indian	64 Kitante Road	Tel 250371 10,000/-+
Victoria Restaurant	Sheraton Hotel

Telephones
Telephones services are improving but you will still be subjected to many frustrations. IDD and faxes now ease foreign communication as does E-Mail. Charges to north America and Europe were recently among the highest in the world at $8 per minute but following intense pressure from consumers and competition from call-back services in the States, UPTC have now reduced charges around $5 per minute, which is still twice that of most northern hemisphere countries. Obtaining private telephones is difficult but may have managed to get connected during the past 12-18 months. Telephone fraud is a major problem. Some people have had monthly bills of over $10,000 due to malpractices within UPTC exchanges. People are often disconnected for non-payment of bills when frequently no bill was received. Have patience and beware! Mobile cell phones are very common and widely available. Uganda boasts one of the best mobile phone networks in Africa. There are three services to choose from; MTN, CelTel, and Mango.

Faxes/E-mail
Remember that faxes and email are only as useful as the effectiveness of the local exchange and the electricity supply. Without considerable alteration to accommodate a different Hz supply, north American 110V fax machines do not work in Uganda. Most people use their office faxes. Africaonline and Infocom are the leading service providers.

Water
Some houses are connected to the grid water system and some of those pipes have water in them somedays. It is essential to have large water storage tanks. As rainfall is more reliable than the water department, many people connect their rainwater gutters to storage tanks as a back-up. If mains water is not available, your tanks will have to be replenished by water tankers. All water should be boiled before drinking (bottled mineral water is available).

Vehicles
If you do not have the use of a company vehicle, it may be worthwhile considering importing one with your household goods. Automobiles are expensive new (twice that in the US). Reliable second hand cars are very rate and costly. Most Japanese models are available and spares are not a problem. If you do import a vehicle, install a quality anti-theft device. In most cases, returning foreigners sell their vehicles after paying the appropriate sales taxes.

Driving Licenses
You can drive with an International License (available from your local Automobile Club) for a period of 12 months in Uganda after which you have to take a driving proficiency test. Only Commonwealth Licenses are transferable without a driving test.

Currency Exchange
The Ugandan shilling is now a floating currency meaning that it is worth what the market is willing to pay for it. Until recently, Bureaux de Changes were the prime money changers with the rates altering daily according to demand. Inflation runs at around 10% officially. Credit cards are accepted at several hotels and better restaurants but few other establishments. Purchase a large wallet before leaving for Uganda as the treasury is perennially short of large denomination shilling bank notes.

Pets
Some expatriates bring their pets with them. Long haired dogs are particularly unsuitable for Uganda where temperatures and ticks are big.. A good barker is one of the most effective thief deterrents and a pet adds to the continuity of family life in this new and exotic land. Don't buy an African Gray parrot (the best speakers available) unless you are willing to surrender it to friends or colleagues when you leave. Your home Ministry of Agriculture with either quarantine the bird or ask for it to be returned to its home. Don't rush out an buy ivory either as it's both illegal in Uganda and in most countries belonging to the World Society for the Protection of Endangered Species.

Corruption
Whatever your personal view of corruption, it is common in Uganda. It is certainly possible to live outside the ugliness of corruption, but it surely makes life almost impossible. Ugandans and long time expatriates ignore the ethics of the issue and merely play the game: they simply regard corruption in small doses as a nuisance but an effective alternative to universal tax collection. A policeman in Kampala simply cannot keep his family on the official salary: neither can a telephone engineer.