Gulu is a city in northern
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
. It is the commercial and administrative centre of
Gulu DistrictGulu is a district in northern Uganda, taking its name from its commercial centre, the town of Gulu. It is one of three districts forming the historical homeland of the Acholi ethnic group, also known as Acholiland...
. The city is located at 2˚46'00N 32˚16'00E, on the
metre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . It is used in many regions, including:*Asia** South-east Asia*** Vietnam*** Malaysia*** Thailand *** Burma...
railway from
TororoTororo is a town in Eastern Uganda. It the headquarters and largest town in Tororo District. It is located west of the town of Malaba at the border between Uganda and Kenya.-Overview:...
to
Pakwach-Location:Pakwach is located in Nebbi District, in the West Nile sub-region, in northern Uganda. It is situated approximately , by road, southwest of Arua, the largest city in the sub-region. The coordinates of the town are:02 27 43N, 31 29 54E .-Railways:The town is the country’s railhead on the...
. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of
KampalaKampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division...
, Uganda's capital and largest city. The town is served by
Gulu AirportGulu Airport is a civilian airport located 1.9 kilometers from the town of Gulu, Gulu District, northern Uganda. No airplane fuel service or customs service is available, however crash assistance and fire service is at hand between 08:00am - 17:00pm...
.
The city is home to the headquarters of the 4th Division of the Uganda People's Defense Force, active in operations against the rebel
Lord's Resistance ArmyThe Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is a guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the sectarian Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern DR Congo...
.
Gulu is a city in northern
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
. It is the commercial and administrative centre of
Gulu DistrictGulu is a district in northern Uganda, taking its name from its commercial centre, the town of Gulu. It is one of three districts forming the historical homeland of the Acholi ethnic group, also known as Acholiland...
. The city is located at 2˚46'00N 32˚16'00E, on the
metre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . It is used in many regions, including:*Asia** South-east Asia*** Vietnam*** Malaysia*** Thailand *** Burma...
railway from
TororoTororo is a town in Eastern Uganda. It the headquarters and largest town in Tororo District. It is located west of the town of Malaba at the border between Uganda and Kenya.-Overview:...
to
Pakwach-Location:Pakwach is located in Nebbi District, in the West Nile sub-region, in northern Uganda. It is situated approximately , by road, southwest of Arua, the largest city in the sub-region. The coordinates of the town are:02 27 43N, 31 29 54E .-Railways:The town is the country’s railhead on the...
. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of
KampalaKampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division...
, Uganda's capital and largest city. The town is served by
Gulu AirportGulu Airport is a civilian airport located 1.9 kilometers from the town of Gulu, Gulu District, northern Uganda. No airplane fuel service or customs service is available, however crash assistance and fire service is at hand between 08:00am - 17:00pm...
.
Overview
The city is home to the headquarters of the 4th Division of the Uganda People's Defense Force, active in operations against the rebel
Lord's Resistance ArmyThe Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is a guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the sectarian Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern DR Congo...
. There are three hospitals providing services to the city:
St. Mary's Hospital LacorSt. Mary's Hospital Lacor, often referred to as Lacor Hospital, is a hospital in Gulu District, northern Uganda. It was founded by Comboni missionaries and is run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu. The hospital is located , by road, west of the central business district of Gulu town, in...
, Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and Gulu Independent Hospital. The headquarters of
Gulu DistrictGulu is a district in northern Uganda, taking its name from its commercial centre, the town of Gulu. It is one of three districts forming the historical homeland of the Acholi ethnic group, also known as Acholiland...
Administration is also located in the city. The city is serviced by
Gulu AirportGulu Airport is a civilian airport located 1.9 kilometers from the town of Gulu, Gulu District, northern Uganda. No airplane fuel service or customs service is available, however crash assistance and fire service is at hand between 08:00am - 17:00pm...
, which has a tarmac runway that measures . Gulu is also the location of
Gulu UniversityGulu University is a university in Uganda. It one of the five public universities to be established by the Government of Uganda, along with Makerere University, Mbarara University, Kyambogo University and Busitema University...
, the only public university in northern Uganda and the parent institution of Gulu University School of Medicine.
Demography and population
The Acholi people are the main inhabitants of the city of Gulu (80%). The majority are Christians. There are a range of spoken languages including
LuoLuo may refer to:*Luo , a group of related African ethnic groups.*Luo , a people of Kenya and Tanzania, part of the above named group...
(sometimes spelled Lwo), Swahili,
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and Luganda to name a few.
During the hostilities between
UPDFUPDF may refer to:* Uganda People's Defence Force* UP Diksyonaryong Filipino...
and
LRALRA may refer to:* the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group in Uganda* Local Registration Authority, relating to digital "keys"* Lake Ridge Academy, a school in North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA...
there were many Internally Displaced Peoples' (IDPs) camps throughout the area, where at one time,an estimated one million people lived. Effective April 2009, all IDP camps were closed and the people were allowed to return to their villages. In July 2009, an estimated 1,452,000 (80.7%) IDPs out of a total of 1,840,000 had voluntarily left the camps to return home, leaving only 388,000, who are in the process of vacating or permanently settling where they are.
Before the cessation of hostilities between the
UPDFUPDF may refer to:* Uganda People's Defence Force* UP Diksyonaryong Filipino...
and the
LRALRA may refer to:* the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group in Uganda* Local Registration Authority, relating to digital "keys"* Lake Ridge Academy, a school in North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA...
, up to 15,000 children, known as "night commuters", were fleeing into the city for safety every evening. Since the cessation of hostilities in late 2006, the numbers of "night commuters" has significantly reduced.
The national census in 2002 estimated the population of the city at 119,430. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimated the city's population at 141,500 in 2008.
Economy, commerce, education
Gulu is the economic capital of Northern Uganda. The reduced violence since the rebel LRA moved out of Uganda has resulted in an economic revitalization.Peace has also brought a lot of help from the International community in terms of Non-Government Organizations. These NGOs are helping the community in various ways by providing food, medical help and rehabilitation centers for formerly abducted children. The NGOs have also created many jobs. Gulu is the home of
Gulu UniversityGulu University is a university in Uganda. It one of the five public universities to be established by the Government of Uganda, along with Makerere University, Mbarara University, Kyambogo University and Busitema University...
, which has a wide range of programs ranging from agriculture to medicine, business management and conflict resolution.
Entertainment and sport
Pece Stadium is Gulu's public stadium, and the largest in Northern Uganda with a capacity of 30,000 people. Gulu is the base of several radio stations including
Choice FMChoice FM is a brand used by the UK's biggest radio company, Global Radio for its network of black music radio stations. It is anchored by an FM operation in London, and is also broadcast via DAB Digital Radio, Sky Digital, Tiscali TV, Virgin Media and online....
which broadcasts daily to an estimated 5 million to 6 million listeners each evening. Other radio stations in Gulu include Mega FM 102.1, Radio Four 89.4, King FM 90.2, Childcare International 91.5 & 98.9, Norah Radio 92.1,UBC Radio 102.1 &103.1 and Radio Maria 105.7.
History
The years since 1989 have been war ridden, with many attacks by the LRA. However, since the spring of 2007, there has been relative peace since Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, moved to Garamba National Forest, in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as reported in the press.
External links
See also
- Railway stations in Uganda
- Maps :* * * - Existing : Bungoma - last town in Kenya Malaba ** Tororo - near Kenya border; junction for north line* Main Line* Iganga * Jinja - bridge over Victoria Nile* Iganga - washed away culvert...
- Gulu Walk
GuluWalk is an initiative started by two Canadians to highlight the plight of Acholi children in northern Uganda who used to trek each night to town centers in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader – for fear of being maimed, raped, abducted or even killed by the Lord's Resistance Army , a...
- Gulu University
Gulu University is a university in Uganda. It one of the five public universities to be established by the Government of Uganda, along with Makerere University, Mbarara University, Kyambogo University and Busitema University...
- Gulu District
Gulu is a district in northern Uganda, taking its name from its commercial centre, the town of Gulu. It is one of three districts forming the historical homeland of the Acholi ethnic group, also known as Acholiland...