FLAG OF UGANDA: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The Ugandan flag repeats each of its horizontal stripes twice, for a total of six across the entire banner. It has two black stripes, two yellow and two red. In its central part, it has a gray crowned crane drawn with the same colors as the stripes on the flag, in addition to the white that occupies the central circle of the flag.

Uganda has not had many flags throughout its history. Even so, having been a British colony since 1894, it had long had the British colonial flag as its official flag, and was administered as a Crown dependency.

Current flag of Uganda. Tobias

The flag of Uganda is the national flag of the country since it became independent from British rule. However, this national flag had already been approved by the United Kingdom before the country achieved its absolute independence.

History

Flag of the Ugandan Protectorate (1894 - 1962)

The Protectorate of Uganda was a British colonial domain established in Africa, as a consequence of the European colonial boom on the continent during the 19th century. The territory had originally been colonized by the Imperial East African Company, but it transferred its property rights to the British kingdom in the late 19th century.

Thus, the British Empire formed the Protectorate of Uganda, which was given a colonial flag with the flag of the United Kingdom in its canton and a crane in a circle on its right hand side. As was British custom, their colonies used to have the same flag, but with a different symbol on the right side, usually with a representative image of the region.

The Protectorate came to be administered in a way that was unusual for the British at the time. The Crown sent few governors from the islands to administer the country, as there was confidence in the local administration carried out by the Bakungu tribal chiefs of Uganda.

These chiefs had very good relations with the British government and an extensive knowledge of the region. They allowed the British to collect taxes more easily and avoided the Crown having to focus heavily on control of the region. This caused that the country, although it was a British colony, was administered with a local government.

Flag of the Protectorate of Uganda (1894 - 1962). Sodacan

Uganda's First Flag (1962)

While this status quo in which the protectorate served the UK was quite useful to both the British and Ugandans themselves, the country's independence ideas grew throughout the 20th century and particularly after the First World War.

During the conflict, many British territories were devastated by fighting between the Germans and the British themselves within Africa. However, Uganda prospered thanks to its agrarian economy. The country boosted its production during the war, which allowed it to develop more than other African nations where the conflict devastated its territory.

The British began to put sanctions on Uganda after the end of the war. The payment given to workers began to be limited and taxes were increased in the country. This began to generate much more discontent, leading to an eventual revolt in which local inhabitants set fire to the governors' houses.

The biggest problems came after World War II. Many local people in Uganda asked the country to enter the cotton market, which the Asians had not allowed them until then.

When Sir Andrew Cohen came to power in Uganda in 1952, he began making reforms to prepare the country for its eventual independence. A system of parliamentary government was established that the country would use after separating itself from the British.

The country separated from the United Kingdom in 1962, establishing its own flag with the crane in the center, but with green, yellow and blue stripes distributed vertically.

Uganda's first flag (1962). Thommy

Current flag of Uganda (since 1962)

Uganda's first flag had been established by the country's Democratic Party, but was altered after this party lost the elections in 1962, when the Ugandan People's Congress took over the nation's government.

The same year that the UPC came to power, the implementation of the previous flag was rejected and a new design was proposed for the country's flag, which is the one in use today.

The British government even approved the use of this flag, which had the colors of the party that was at the head of the government, and was designed by the country's justice minister.

Current flag of Uganda (1962 - Present). Tobias

Meaning

The Ugandan flag is a symbol of unity for Africans and each of its colors is representative of some part of the continent's culture.

This flag, unlike other African flags that directly represent their country, symbolizes the union of African culture as well as the importance of Ugandans within it.

The two black stripes on the flag are the symbol of the country's inhabitants and Ugandan nationality. The yellow color of the flag is a representation of the African sun that watches over the entire continent. It does not represent wealth, as it does in many other flags of the world.

However, the color red is the most significant of the flag at the continental level; it represents the blood that all Africans have shed throughout their history.

The gray crowned crane in the center of the banner represents the gentle nature of the Ugandan, as the animal is known for this behavior. Also, Ugandan troops used the crane symbol on their uniform during the British colonial era. It is a symbolism of what the country was and is today.

References

1. Flag of Uganda, Wikipedia, 2019. Taken from Wikipedia.org
2. History of Uganda, Wikipedia, 2019. Taken from Wikipedia.org
3. Flag of Uganda, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018. Taken from Britannica.com
4. Uganda Flag, Flag Makers Website, (nd). Taken from flagmakers.co.uk
5. Uganda Flag Meaning, World Population Review, (nd). Taken from worldpopulationreview.com