Western Kenya Safari

Uganda, landlocked country on the equator in East Africa, the country contains a varied landscape of savanna, dense forests and tall mountains, as well as almost half of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, and the primary source of river Nile. Uganda is an ethnically diverse nation with a deeply ingrained intellectual and artistic culture. Poor but developing, Uganda’s economy is predominantly agricultural. Uganda was the site of several powerful kingdoms, most notably Buganda and Bunyoro, before the arrival of European colonists in the late 19th Century. Uganda became under the control of pragmatic leader Yoweri Museveni, who has introduced democratic and economic reforms. Kampala is Uganda’s capital and the largest city. Uganda is bordered by Kenya to the east; Sudan to the north; Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the west; and Rwanda, Tanzania and Lake Victoria to the south and southeast. Uganda has a total area of 241,038 sq. km. The country measures 625 km east to west and 638 km north to south. Climatic Conditions Uganda’s temperatures are moderate throughout the year. In Kampala, near Lake Victoria, average daily temperatures range from 18 to 28o c in January and from 17o to 25o c in July; In Kabale, the highlands of the southwest, they range from 9o to 24o c in January and 8o to 23o c in July. Except for its southwest, Uganda usually receives sufficient rain throughout the country to permit crops to grow once or even twice a year. Most areas of the country have distinct dry and wet seasons, though the lake Victoria area receives rain throughout the year. The rainy seasons occur from March through May and from October through November. The driest areas, in the north, usually receive about 900mm annually, while the wettest in the south, get more than 1,500mm. Rainfall varies greatly, however, and local droughts are not uncommon.