James Kitaka

Who designed the Uganda National Flag?

The Uganda Flag was designed by Grace Ibingira who was serving as Uganda’s Minister of Justice at the time. It was adopted on 9th October, 1962 when Uganda gained independence from the United Kingdom and is one of the 3 National symbols along with the Uganda Coat of Arms and the National anthem.

Grace Ibingira, the designer of the Uganda Flag
Grace Ibingira, designer of the Uganda Flag

Cecil Todd, a professor at the Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and Fine Art at Makerere University contributed to the design that would eventually become the Uganda Flag.

What does the Uganda flag look like?

The Uganda flag is made up of 6 horizontal stripes of black, yellow and red. At the centre of the flag enclosed in a circle is Uganda’s National bird named the Crested Crane.

The Uganda flag showing its black, yellow and red stripes plus centered crested crane
Uganda flag showing its black, yellow and red stripes plus the national bird at the center

Meaning of the Uganda flag bird

The Crested crane is adored for it gentle demeanor symbolising the humility of the Ugandan people. Its depicted with a raised leg to symbolise the forward progress of Uganda as a country.

Illustration of the Uganda National bird, the Crested Crane
Illustration of the Uganda National bird, the Crested Crane

Meaning of the colors on the Uganda Flag

Each color depicted on the Uganda flag symbolizes a specific aspect about Uganda as a nation and Africa at large.

What flags did Uganda use before Independence?

Before gaining independence, Uganda used a series of flags from the Buganda kingdom flag which was used in the precolonial period to the Provisional flag which was used a few months before independence.

Provisional Uganda Flag before independence
Provisional flag used by Uganda a few months prior to Independence

Conclusion

The Uganda flag has a rich history featuring a series of iterations which resulted in the final version we see and use today. To learn more about the story behind the Uganda flag as well as its usage in modern day Uganda, checkout our more comprehensive guide: History, Design, Symbolism and Meaning behind the Uganda Flag

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