2020 in Uganda

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2020 Timeline of Ugandan history

Events in the year 2020 in Uganda.

Incumbents

For Executive Cabinet under the current administration, see Cabinet of Uganda. For the current leaders in the parliamement of Uganda, see List of members of the tenth Parliament of Uganda.

Yoweri Museveni

Ruhakana Rugunda

• President: Yoweri Museveni
• Vice President: Edward Ssekandi
• Prime Minister: Ruhakana Rugunda

Events

January to April

• 1 February – The East African Community reviews its treaty.[1]
• 5 February – Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate, 23, complains about racism as she is cropped out of a photo published by the Associated Press in which she originally appeared with Greta Thunberg, Isabelle Axelsson, Luisa Neubauer and Loukina Tille at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Africans have truly been erased from the map of climate action," Nakate tweeted. AP said they will expand their diversity training for employees.[2]
• 9 February – Swarms of locusts are seen in Uganda and Tanzania.[3]
• 12 February – PowerChina International Group Limited (PIGL) applies for a permit to build a US$1.2 dam and power plant between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert in Uganda.[4]
• 13 February – The African Development Bank gives Uganda US $1 million to fight Ebola.[5]
• 15 March – In a historic first, all Peace Corps volunteers worldwide are withdrawn from their host countries.[6]
• 18 March – Public gatherings including places of worship, pubs, weddings, music shows, rallies and cultural meetings were suspended for 32 days with immediate effect.[7]
• 22 March – The first case of COVID-19 in the country was confirmed.[8]
• 25 March – Public transport was suspended for 14 days, with only private cars with three occupants or less allowed on the road.[9]

May to August

• 8 May – A hospital in Kilembe, Uganda and a small town Somalia are washed away in flooding; an unspecified number of people are killed. Hundreds of people have been killed by floodwaters in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda, and Ethiopia which have also displaced hundreds of thousands across the region.[10]
• 2 June – President Yoweri Museveni predicts Uganda will lose US$1.6 billion in tourism revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
• June 12 – Four poachers are arrested for killing an endangered gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.[12]
• 22 July – Activist Bobi Wine starts a new political party, the National Unity Platform, ahead of the 2021 Ugandan presidential election.[13]

September to December

• 17 September – Prison escape by 219 in Moroto Town, Northern Region.[14]
• 14 October - Security forces detained Bobi Wine during a raid on his offices in Kamwokya, Kampala.[15][16]
• 15 November – Dance with Valentino reality -talk show premieres on NTV Uganda.[17]
• 20 November – The death toll from protests following the 18 November arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu ("Bobi Wine") grows to 37. Ssentamu is a pop singer and candidate for president in the 2021 Ugandan general election.[18]
• December 25 – Ugandan civilian boat with over 50 passengers sank in Lake Albert after it was hit by strong wind. Ugandan officials said that 21 people have been rescued and 26 bodies recovered, DRC authorities said that at least 33 people died in an incident.[19]
• December 26 – 2021 Ugandan general election: Campaigning is halted in Mbarara, Kabarole, Luwero, Kasese, Masaka, Wakiso, Jinja, Kalungu, Kazo, Kampala City, and Tororo, ostensibly for health reasons.[20]
• December 30
  • Bobi Wine is arrested.[21]
  • LGBTQ rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo is freed on bail after being arrested on charges of money laundering.[22]

Deaths

• 28 January – Naomi Karungi, military officer (b. 1978).[23]
• 12 February – Benon Biraaro, military officer (b. 1958).[24]
• 15 February – Simon Kagugube, lawyer and corporate executive (b. 1956).[25]
• 16 February – Nikita Pearl Waligwa, actress (b. 2005).[26]
• 31 March – Gita Ramjee, Ugandan-South African HIV prevention researcher (b. 1956).[27]
• 25 May – Jimmy Kirunda, football player and manager (b. 1950).[28]
• 9 June – Kasirye Ggwanga, military officer and presidential advisor on Buganda Kingdom affairs (b. 1952). [29]
• 15 September – Faith Alupo, politician and MP (b. 1983).[30]
• 26 September – Nasser Sebaggala, 72, politician, mayor of Kampala (1998–1999, 2006–2011); intussusception.[31]
• 27 October – Shaban Bantariza, colonel.[32]
• 4 December – James Odongo, 89, Ugandan Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tororo (1999–2007).[33]
• 19 December – Kirunda Kivejinja, 85, politician, Minister of East African Community Affairs (since 2016), COVID-19.[34]
• 27 December – Francis Senteza, bodyguard for Bobi Wine; died of injuries after being overrun by a military truck.[35]

See also

• 2020 in East Africa

References

1. EAC treaty ripe for review, says Mfumukeko The East African, 1 February 2020, Retrieved 12 February 2020
2. She was cropped out of a photo of white climate activists. Now, she says it's time to stop erasing African voices By Caleb Okereke and Stephanie Busari, CNN, 5 February 2020, retrieved 20 February 2020
3. Swarms of locusts spread deeper into Uganda BBC, 10 February 2020, retrieved 11 February 2020
4. Uganda: Chinese firm wants to build dam on Nile River Al Jazeera, 12 February 2020
5. Uganda: AfDB Gives Uganda Shs3.7 Billion to Fight Ebola 13 February 2020
6. "Peace Corps announces suspension of Volunteer activities, evacuations due to COVID-19". Peace Corps. 15 March 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020. "U.S. To Evacuate All Peace Corps Volunteers Due To Coronavirus". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 21 March 2020. Retrieved 6 Apr 2020.
7. "Ugandans Trying to Get Home Forced to Pay for COVID-19 Quarantine". Human Rights Watch. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
8. Obulutsa, George (21 March 2020). "Angola, Eritrea, Uganda confirm first cases as coronavirus spreads in Africa". National Post. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
9. "Photos that will make you reconsider your trip to Kampala". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
10. "Ugandan hospital, Somali town washed away by East Africa floods". Yahoo! News. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
11. "Uganda to lose $1.6 billion in tourism earnings as a result of COVID-19". Yahoo! News. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
12. Seipel, Brooke (12 June 2020). "Four poachers arrested for killing endangered silverback gorilla". The Hill. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
13. "Uganda's Bobi Wine, urging unity, launches presidential bid". AP News. 22 July 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
14. "Más de 200 presos escapan de una cárcel en Uganda tras someter a guardias y robar armas". www.msn.com. DW. Retrieved Sep 17, 2020.
15. Agence France-Presse (October 14, 2020). "Ugandan pop-star MP Bobi Wine arrested during office raid". Daily Nation. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020. Ugandan security forces detained pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine on Wednesday during a raid of the presidential aspirant's offices in the capital Kampala, his lawyer said.
16. Ssentamu, Robert Kyagulanyi [@HEBobiwine] (October 14, 2020). "The military and police just raided our head office in Kamwokya. They have broken into offices and taken away valuable documents and other items. Some comrades have been injured. The partisanship of security agencies ahead of the election is stinking" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
17. "Renowned dancer Valentino takes reality show to YouTube". Nile Post. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
18. "Death toll at 37 in Uganda unrest after Bobi Wine's arrest". AP News. 20 November 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
19. "Dozens killed in Lake Albert boat capsize along Uganda-DRC border". www.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
20. "Uganda halts campaigning for January 14 vote in several districts". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera English. December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
21. "Uganda opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine arrested, police fire teargas at protesters". Yahoo! News. Yahoo! News. Reuters. December 30, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
22. "Uganda rights lawyer freed on bail after week in detention". AP News. 30 December 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
23. Kayigwa, Moses (2020-01-28). "Fallen UPDF Pilot: Who Was Maj. Naomi Karungi?". TowerPostNews. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
24. "Gen Benon Biraaro Passes On". ChimpReports. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
25. "Daily Monitor, URA board chairman and Centenary Bank ED, Simon Kagugube dies". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 2020-10-03.^[permanent dead link‍]
26. Uganda's Queen of Katwe star Nikita Pearl Waligwa dies aged 15 BBC News, retrieved 16 February 2020
27. "Renowned SA scientist Gita Ramjee dies of complications due to Covid-19". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
28. "Veteran Uganda Cranes captain Jimmy Kirunda dies". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
29. "Gen. Kasirye Ggwanga, a Maverick soldier Quietly goes to Rest | Uganda Media Centre".
30. "BREAKING! Ugandan MP dies of COVID-19 as infections rise". PML Daily. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
31. Former Kampala Mayor Al-Hajji Ssebaggala Dies at 72
32. Daily Monitor (27 October 2020). "Government says Col Bantariza died of Covid-19". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
33. Archbishop Emeritus James Odongo of Tororo passes on aged 89
34. Minister Kivejinja succumbed to Covid-19 - Museveni
35. "Uganda: Bobi Wine says bodyguard killed in violence ahead of poll". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera English. December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.