10 Interesting Facts About Ugandans

There is something to be said about 43 different tribes of people who form one nation. With a population of about 45 million people, suffice it to say that there is a million people, give or take, per tribe. And yet we are one group of extremely cohesive and invariably interesting people. Go anywhere in this country and you will find the same recurring theme, over and over and over again, Ugandans are known for their similarities, rather than their differences. Here are ten interesting facts about Ugandans you will find all across the land.

1. All Ugandans are Traditional

Tradition first, trend second. This is true for any Ugandan, no matter where they come from or why. With the influence of popular culture and the global village take on societal norms, Ugandans have held fast to their traditions, choosing to integrate and evolve with the times, instead of extinction. This is why in almost every tribe in Uganda, there are two weddings per couple. One for the tradition, and one for the church.

2. Ugandans are Religious

It doesn’t matter which religion they belong to, they will belong to it with all they are, because Ugandans believe in God. Every school assembly, company meeting or even entertainment event will start with a prayer, and end with a prayer. Even most of our traditional names are prayers.

3. Ugandans are Bilingual

Yes, we speak English perfectly. Second only in the world. But we speak our local languages perfectly too. We believe that our language is a very important part of who we are, who we were, who we will be. This is why we have Multi-lingual media; newspapers, television, radio…

4. Ugandans love Music, Dance and Drama

No, it’s not just a phase. It’s not just a school activity. It’s in our blood. It’s in our system. To sing at every occasion, any occasion, no occasion. To dance in the street, in the garden, on the stage, to pour our heartfelt emotions into every little bit of story we tell. It’s who we are. And we love it.

5. Ugandans thrive on Hospitality

We take offence when we invite you and you do not show up. We take it personally. We take it as a sign, and we read our signs carefully. But when you do show up, we do everything in our power to make sure you have the best experience. We will cook for you, teach you our culture, and make you one of us. And if you need a place to stay, we will always have room for you. That’s not a promise, that’s our everyday.

6. Ugandans value their Food.

Art. Music. Cuisine. The three building blocks of any culture. And especially our culture. We believe that our food can tell you everything you need to know about us, and so we pour our heart and soul into it. We cultivate it, harvest it, and cook it with the utmost respect that it deserves, and when you eat it, you can taste that. You can test the generations that preserved and passed on the recipes from mother to daughter and father to son, and you can taste the energy and effort it took the many people who got it from a seed, all the way to a meal.  

7. Ugandans are exceptional Story tellers.

The Chronicles of Kintu and Nambi. No one knows who first told the story, and frankly, no one cares. But what we do know, and what we deeply care about, is that ours is a story worth telling, and we will tell it to anyone who will listen, and anyone who won’t.

8. Ugandans are Extremely Intelligent.

Science. Medicine.  Chess. Music. Sports. All these are areas where Ugandans excel, not just by our national or regional standards, but worldwide. This is because Ugandans are very fast learners. When the global pandemic of 2019 hit, while every major laboratory in the world was looking for a vaccine, and failing miserably, Ugandan laboratories were looking for a permanent cure, and they succeeded, in less than a year.

9. Ugandans are Creative and Innovative.

With great power comes great responsibility. And with the great level of intelligence bestowed upon us, it’s no small wonder that Ugandans are creative, in all areas; fashion, music, art, science, politics, education, entertainment.

10. Ugandans Embrace the Same-Difference

We know that we all different. We know that we are all the same. We know it. We accept it. We respect it. We are proud of it. We flaunt it. And most importantly, we never let it get in the way of what we stand for. We may speak a hundreds different languages, but we belong to one. We may have a hundred different ways of showing love, but we mean one. We may have a hundred different ways of dancing, but when the music stops, the dance continues, the drum line marches forward, and we keep the fire burning, in our hearts, in our souls, in our land, because our only difference is that we are the same. We are Ugandan after all.