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Cars 4 Rental Information on Uganda

General

Area: 241,139 sq km (93,104 sq miles).

Population: 22,788,000 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density: 94.5 per sq km.

Capital: Kampala. Population: 1,212,000 (official estimate 2000).

GEOGRAPHY: Uganda shares borders with Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Lake Victoria to the southeast, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. Kampala is on the shores of Lake Victoria, and the White Nile flowing out of the lake traverses much of the country. The varied scenery includes tropical forest and tea plantations on the slopes of the snowcapped Ruwenzori Mountains, the arid plains of the Karamoja, the lush, heavily populated Buganda, the rolling savannah of Acholi, Bunyoro, Tororo and Ankole, and the fertile cotton area of Teso.

Government: Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1962. Head of State: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni since 1986. Head of Government: Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi since 1999.

Language: English is the official language, with Luganda and Swahili also widely spoken.

Religion: 60 per cent Christian, 32 per cent Animist and 5 per cent Muslim.

Time: GMT + 3.

Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available to and from principal towns in Uganda. Country code: 256. Service for local calls is unreliable.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900/1800 network. Main network operators are Clovergem Celtel (website: www.msi-cellular.com), MTN Uganda (website: www.mtn.co.ug) and Uganda Telecom Ltd (website: www.utl.co.ug). Coverage extends to all major towns.

Fax

Service is available at the Postal & Telecommunications Office, 35 Kampala Road, Kampala; in central post offices in Jinja and Mbale between 0800-1600; and in some hotels.

Internet

ISPs include InfoCom (website: www.imul.com) and MTN Uganda (website: www.mtn.co.ug). There are Internet cafes in Kampala.

Telegram

Available in main towns.

Post

Airmail to Europe can take from 3 days to several weeks. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1230 and 1400-1730. Some post offices are open Sat 0830-1300.

Press

The English-language papers include Financial Times, The Monitor, New Vision, The Star and Sunrise.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Uganda Shilling (USh). Notes are in denominations of USh20,000, 10,000, 5000 and 1000. Coins are in denominations of USh500, 200, 100 and 50.

Currency exchange: Foreign currency may be exchanged at the Central Bank, commercial banks and foreign exchange bureaux.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Most large hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and shops in urban areas accept credit cards. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is prohibited. Free import of foreign currency if declared on arrival. Export of foreign currency is unlimited, up to the amount declared on arrival. It is imperative to obtain a currency declaration form on arrival in Uganda. Unspent shillings can be reconverted to foreign currency.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Uganda Shilling against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04
£1.00= 3188.17 3280.00 3472.13 3352.51
$1.00= 1997.85 1984.00 1907.50 1877.00

Banking hours: Generally Mon-Fri 0900-1500, Sat 0900-1200.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever Yes Yes/1
Cholera Yes No/2
Typhoid and Polio 3 N/A
Malaria 4 N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from infected areas. Travellers arriving from non-endemic zones should note that vaccination is strongly recommended for travel outside the urban areas, even if an outbreak of the disease has not been reported and they would normally not require a vaccination certificate to enter the country.

2: 2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Uganda. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness; see the Health appendix for more information.

3: Typhoid is widespread and immunisation is advised.

4: Malaria risk, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, occurs all year throughout the country, including the main towns of Fort Portal, Jinja, Kampala, Mbale and parts of Kigezi. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.

Food & drink: All water should be regarded as being a potential health risk. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Meningitis risk exists, depending on area visited and time of year. Hepatitis A, B and E, and tuberculosis occur. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) is reported.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Note: In March/April 2003, there was an outbreak of cholera in the Bundibugyo district, and an epidemic of measles in January 2002 in the Kayunga district. Travellers wishing to obtain up-to-date information about these health concerns should consult the Ugandan Ministry of Health (website: www.health.go.ug).

Health Care: Visitors should bring personal supplies of medicines that are likely to be needed, but enquire first at the Embassy or High Commission whether such supplies may be freely imported. Comprehensive health insurance is essential and should include cover for emergency air repatriation in case of serious accident or illness. The Ugandan health service has still not recovered from the mass departure of foreign personnel in 1972 and there are medical facilities of a reasonable standard only in large towns and cities.

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Climate

The temperature, usually ranging between 21-25C, can be quite cool in some parts of the country owing to the country’s high altitude, despite its position on the equator. The mountain areas become much cooler and the top of Mount Elgon is often covered with snow. Other parts of the country are much warmer. There is heavy rain between March and May and between October and November.

Required clothing: Lightweights and rainwear, with warm wraps for the evenings are advised.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes Yes Yes
Australian Yes Yes Yes
Canadian Yes Yes Yes
USA Yes Yes Yes
OtherEU Yes Yes Yes
Japanese Yes Yes Yes

Restricted entry: Entry may be refused to passengers not holding sufficient funds, return or onward tickets, and other necessary travel documents.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid past the date of expected departure from Uganda required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) 1. nationals of Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Burundi, Comoros, Cyprus, Eritrea, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Rwanda, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe;
(b) transit passengers continuing to a third country by the same or first connecting flight within 24 hours, provided holding confirmed tickets and travel documents and not leaving the airport.

Note: Some visas may be issued on arrival to Uganda; check with your local Embassy for further details.

Types of visa and cost: Single-entry: US$50 (three months). Multiple-entry: US$90 (six months), US$190 (one year). Transit: US$15. Express processing is available at an additional charge of US$10.

Validity: Single-entry: Three months from date of issue; Multiple-entry: Six months or one year from date of issue; Transit: 24 hours.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at High Commission or Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Passport valid past the date of your expected departure from Uganda. (b) Completed application form. (c) Two recent passport-size photos (with full name printed on the back of one). (d) Fee (cash or postal orders only). (e) Registered self-addressed envelope, if applying by post. Business: (a)-(e) and, (f) Letter of invitation/introduction.

Note: Working journalists require a letter of accreditation issued by the Secretary of the Media Council, Dept of Information, PO Box 7142, Kampala (tel: (41) 232 734; fax: (41) 256 888 or 342 259).

Working days required: Two.

Temporary residence: Enquire at Embassy or High Commission.

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