Explorer Henry Stanley discovered Uganda in 1875 which was divided into two kingdoms at the time. In 1888, Uganda came under the control of the British East Africa Company. After World War II, native Ugandans were allowed to serve in government, and by 1955, half the members of the legislative council were Ugandans. The Ugandan Constitutional Conference was held in London in September 1961, organized to pave the way for Ugandan independence.[1] At the end of the conference on 9 October, Uganda officially became an independent nation.[2][3]
On the first anniversary of independence on 9 October 1963, Uganda took a further step away from the United Kingdom when Elizabeth II was removed as head of state and replaced by the King of Buganda, Edward Muteesa, who assumed the new role of president. The first independence day celebrations were held on the same day, with Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations, representing the UK at the ceremony.[4] The date was established as a public holiday in subsequent years.[5]
Celebrations
Camp Lemonnier, which is the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa, held an Independence Day breakfast in 2009.
Celebrations are held throughout Uganda and activities are designed to promote the nation. Performances are held by well-known artists. There are also cultural demonstrations that include traditional festivals. In 2017, Uganda celebrated their 55th anniversary of Independence.[6]
Trooping of the Colour and military parade
Kololo Ceremonial Grounds
A military parade is held annually to celebrate Independence Day, featuring a Trooping the Colour ceremony. This has frequently been held at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala,[7] but in recent years has sometimes been held in alternative locations such as in 2024, when the ceremony was in Busia.[8][9]
The ceremony is generally attended by the President of Uganda, who inspects a guard of honour and takes the national salute while "Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty" is played by the massed bands. The colours are then paraded and raised on the main flagpole.[7] The president then delivers a holiday address, followed by religious leaders taking the central podium to pray for the nation. The parade commander then orders the parade to begin with a slow march, followed by a quick march.[10] A number of performances and dances as well as addresses by religious leaders also take place during the celebrations.[7]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
