Uganda
1918-1939 		Independence
since 1962







Uganda 1939-1962



In World War II, troops from Uganda saw service on many fronts. The protectorate greatly increased production of food and other products (timber, rubber) and so contributed to the Allied war effort.
In 1945 a census established 2,583 Europeans, 28,512 Asiatics and 3,966,595 Africans in Uganda. The Uganda protectorate between 1941 and 1945 had a budget surplus. Major export products were cotton, coffee and tobacco. The currency was the EAST AFRICAN SHILLING. The Government's LABOUR DEPARTMENT supervised the condition under which natives were employed; in 1949 the following daily wages were given : unskilled agricultural labour 4d. to 7d. a day, semi-skilled 7d. to 1s., in trade and manufacture, unskilled labour 4d. to 8d., skilled 1s. to 4s. 6d. The South an East African Yearbook comments "Where the incentive exists the Natives of Uganda can be industrious and willing workers, and at skilled trades they are, generally speaking, apt pupils. The Baganda in particular possess a relatively high mechanical aptitude." (p.814).
In 1948, Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika formed the EAST AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION; in 1961 the EAST AFRICAN COMMON] SERVICES ORGANIZATION. Uganda had a comparatively small white population element. The protectorate had a number of secondary schools, many of them technically oriented. One institute serving post-secondary education, MAKERERE COLLEGE was "contemplated that (it) will in due course achieve University College status and may eventually become a University for East Africa" (SEAYb 1949 p.815).
After World War II, constitutional changes were made, universal adult suffrage introduced. Political parties emerged, most notably the DP and the UPC, closely contested elections were held (1961). However, in Buganda conservative elements were worried about the prospect of democratization and about a possible East African federation (Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika) which would reduce the political importance of the Kingdom. To appease them, the British ensured Bugandan autonomy within the state. In 1962, Ugandan independence was proclaimed.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from Infoplease : Uganda
History of Buganda, from Buganda Homepage
Library of Congress, Country Study : Uganda
Links on Ugandan History from Looksmart
History of Uganda from UPenn, African Studies
EAC in Brief, from EACHQ
Uganda : The Party System in 1950-1956 and 1957-1962, in : Kenneth Janda, Political Parties : A Cross-National Survey
DOCUMENTS List of Bugandan Kings, from Buganda Homepage
Flags from FOTW : Ugandan flags
Maps of Uganda, from CIA World Factbook; Ethnicity Map from uganda.co (scroll down)
Exchange of notes constituting an agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Egypt regarding the construction of the Owen Falls Dam. Signed in Uganda and Cairo 5 December 1949; in force 5 December 1949, from International Water Law Project
Exchange of notes constituting an agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Egypt regarding the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in Uganda. Signed in Cairo 16 July 1952 and 5 January 1953; in force 5 January 1953, from International Water Law Project
REFERENCES South and East African Year Book and Guide, 49th edition, 1949, pp.758-760, 809-823 [G]
Chapter 23 : Hope and Crisis in Uganda, pp.421-448, in : John Gunther, Inside Africa, NY : Harper & Bros. (1953) 1955 [G]
Michael Twaddle, The Settlement of South Asians in East Africa, pp.74-76 in : Robin Cohen, The Cambridge Survey of World Migration, Cambridge : UP 1995, KMLA Lib.Sign. 304.809 C678c
Article : British East Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1944 p.127, 1945 pp.124-125, 1946 pp.146-147, 1947 pp.149-150, 1948 pp.139-140, 1949 pp.118-120, 1950 pp.127-128, 1951 pp.124-125, 1952 pp.122-123, 1953 pp.123-124, 1954 pp.121-124, 1955 pp.181-183, 1956 pp.120-122, 1957 pp.180-182 [G]
Article : Uganda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1958 p.697, 1959 pp.694-695, 1960 pp.694-695, 1961 p.693, 1962 pp.687-688 [G]
Article : Uganda Protectorate, in : Statesman's Year Book 1943 pp.212-214 [G]
Article : Uganda, in : Americana Annual 1943 p.721, 1944 pp.693-694, 1945 p.708 [G]
Article : British East Africa, in : Americana Annual 1945 p.115, 1946 pp.120-123, 1947 pp.98-100 [G]
Article : British East Africa - Uganda, in : Americana Annual 1957 pp.102-104, 1961 pp.93-96, 1962 pp.91-94 [G]
History of the Uganda Protectorate, pp.6-8; Uganda Protectorate pp.65-78, in : Year Book and Guide to East Africa 1963 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on May 1st 2008

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