Uganda is a land-locked equatorial nation located in East Africa and is slightly smaller than Oregon. It shares borders with five countries, Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda,Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda gained independence in 1962, but entered a period of violent instability due to its reckless composition of a wide range of ethnic groups. The dictatorial regime of Idi Amin (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents and guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton Obote (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives. In 1980, Yoweri Museveni formed the National Resistance army as part of the Uganda Patriotic Movement, and officially seized power in 1986.The rule of Yoweri Museveni since 1986 has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda, which was confirmed in 1996 when he won 76% of the vote in the first presidential election held of the new constitution. Since 1996, Museveni’s popularity has waned although he is still the majority party leader. Uganda’s climate is tropical and it is a predominantly agricultural society, employing 80% of the workforce
Jinja is a town of about 100,000 residents about 60 miles northeast of Kampala. This small town has made its claim as the “Source of the Nile” river, the largest river in Africa, and is nested on the banks of Lake Victoria.
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