Gulu is a city in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District.[2][3]

Gulu
City
Houses in Gulu
Houses in Gulu
Gulu is located in Uganda
Gulu
Gulu
Coordinates: 02°46′54″N 32°17′57″E / 2.78167°N 32.29917°E / 2.78167; 32.29917
CountryUganda
RegionNorthern Region
Sub-regionAcholi sub-region
DistrictGulu District
Elevation
1,100 m (3,600 ft)
Population
 (2014 Census)
 • Total
152,276[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

The coordinates of the city of Gulu are 2°46'54.0"N 32°17'57.0"E.[4] The city's distance from Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city, is 333 kilometres (207 mi) by road.[5] Gulu is served by Gulu Airport.

History

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During the British Bagool rule in the 18th and 19th centuries, northern Uganda was less developed compared to the rest of the country. The people were conscripted into the army and the police, with many sent to fight in the first and second World Wars.[6]

In the 1960s, many Sudanese, Rwandan, and Congolese refugees settled in the city.[7]

 
Gulu city Giant Elephant Monument

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) under the leadership of Joseph Kony sprang up in the 1990s after Auma/Lakwena went to Kenya. The LRA became increasingly violent in Gulu and surrounding communities.[8] Up to 15,000 children, known as "night commuters", were fleeing into the city for safety every evening.[9] In 1996, the Ugandan government ordered all civilians in northern Uganda to relocate to internally displaced person (IDP) camps. Several organizations, such as Stop the Genocide in Northern Uganda, called these camps "concentration camps" and demanded their immediate closure. At one time, an estimated two million people lived in these camps. In April 2009, all the IDP camps were closed and the people were allowed to return to their villages.[10] By July 2009, an estimated 1,452,000 people (80.7 percent of those living in the camps) had voluntarily left the camps to return home.[11][12][13] Since the spring of 2007, there has been relative peace in the region as the LRA became a much less significant threat.[citation needed]

Climate

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Gulu's climate is tropical wet and dry (Aw) according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system.[14]

Climate data for Gulu (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.3
(88.3)
31.7
(89.1)
30.7
(87.3)
29.2
(84.6)
28.4
(83.1)
27.9
(82.2)
27.0
(80.6)
27.4
(81.3)
28.5
(83.3)
28.6
(83.5)
28.6
(83.5)
29.1
(84.4)
29.0
(84.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 16.5
(61.7)
17.5
(63.5)
18.0
(64.4)
17.9
(64.2)
17.8
(64.0)
17.3
(63.1)
16.9
(62.4)
16.9
(62.4)
16.9
(62.4)
17.1
(62.8)
16.8
(62.2)
16.3
(61.3)
17.2
(62.9)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 16.5
(0.65)
29.4
(1.16)
84.7
(3.33)
166.2
(6.54)
175.6
(6.91)
152.1
(5.99)
168.6
(6.64)
237.8
(9.36)
174.6
(6.87)
186.9
(7.36)
109.0
(4.29)
37.4
(1.47)
1,538.8
(60.57)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 2.5 4.2 8.4 13.9 14.8 12.2 13.5 16.1 14.5 16.3 11.4 3.8 131.6
Source: World Meteorological Organization[15]

Demographics

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The national census in 2002 estimated Gulu's population at 119,430. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 149,900 in 2010. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 154,300.[16] The 2014 population census put the population at 152,276.[1]

In 2020, the mid-year population of Gulu City was projected by city division as follows: Bar Dege (47,700), Laroo (32,300), Layibi (43,900) and Pece (53,500), for a total of 177,400.[17]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
2002119,430—    
2010149,900+25.5%
2011154,300+2.9%
2014152,276−1.3%
2015153,800+1.0%
2020177,400+15.3%
source:[1][16][17]

Education

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This is an all metal made peace monument established in 2009 by the Dutch Embassy at the Gulu District Local Government headquarters, it depicts two children (a female and male) reading a book on top of 20 piles of books, monument was established in honor of the end of the 20 years war of the Lord's Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony

Gulu is the home of Gulu University, which has a wide range of programs including agriculture, medicine, business management, and conflict resolution. It is one of the three public universities in the Northern Region, the others being Muni University in Arua and Lira University in Lira. Gulu University is the parent institution of the Gulu University School of Medicine, one of the nine accredited medical schools in Uganda as of February 2015. The Uganda Management Institute, a government-owned tertiary teaching and research institution in management and administration, has a campus in Gulu.[18] Gulu also hosts University of the Sacred Heart Gulu, a private university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu.[19]

Health

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There are three hospitals in the city: St. Mary's Hospital Lacor, the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, and Gulu Independent Hospital.

There is also a center for non-medical integrative therapies, Thrive-Gulu, founded by Boston-based professor Judy Dushku and her husband Jim Coleman, and part-funded by Eliza Dushku. It has received funding support from Irish aid agency Trocaire and a Scandinavian foreign aid provider.[20]

Transport

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The city is served by Gulu Airport, which has a tarmac runway that measures 10,314 feet (3,144 m). Gulu Airport is the second biggest airport in Uganda after Entebbe International Airport.[21]

Rail

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Gulu has a station on the metre gauge railway that connects Tororo and Pakwach, which had been out of service since 1993. Rift Valley Railways funded the clearing of vegetation and the repair of infrastructure, thus allowing the first commercial train for 20 years to run through Gulu on 14 September 2013.[22]

Sport

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The home venue for Gulu United FC is Pece War Memorial Stadium, which has a capacity of 3,000 people.[23] The stadium was built by the British in 1959, with long-delayed renovations starting in April 2017.[24]

Places of worship

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Predominant among the places of worship are Christian facilities for communities including the: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu (Catholic Church), Eastern Orthodox Diocese of Gulu (Patriarchate of Alexandria), Church of Uganda (Anglican Communion), Presbyterian Church in Uganda (World Communion of Reformed Churches), Baptist Union of Uganda (Baptist World Alliance), Watoto Church, Assemblies of God,[25] and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[26] There are also Muslim mosques.

Water and sanitation

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With loans obtained from the World Bank and KfW, the government of Uganda in 2020, completed Phase I of the Gulu Water Supply and Sanitation Project. The project required USh82.3 billion (US$22+ million) to be implemented. With the improvements, Gulu City has storage capacity of 42,000,000 cubic metres (1.1×1010 US gal) of potable water. In addition, at least 42 public toilets have been built, capable of accommodating 250 people simultaneously. A new sewage sludge treatment plant in Cubu has been constructed.[27]

Phase II of the project involves establishment of a drinking water intake plant, upstream of Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station, with pumping capacity of 10,000 cubic metres (2,600,000 US gal) daily. This new potable water source will supply 341,000 people in Gulu and neighboring communities. It also includes the expansion of safe sanitation services to 170,000 new customers. KfW and the CDC Group are expected to fund the second stage, starting in June 2021.[27]

Notable people

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See also

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Languages spoken by people of gulu district.

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  1. Acholi.
  2. Alur.
  3. Lango.
  4. Swahili.
  5. English.
  6. Luganda.

Schools in gulu district

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nursery schools

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  1. Annabel Nursery School
  2. Bestow Nursery School
  3. Bishop Angelo Negri Nursery School
  4. Bright Valley Nursery School
  5. Chalton Nursery School
  6. Christ The Center Nursery School
  7. Cornerstone Nursery School
  8. Credo Kindergarten
  9. Disciples Nursery School
  10. Ebenezer Modern Nursery School
  11. El-shaddai Nursery School
  12. Favour Of God Nursery School
  13. Froebel Nursery School Gulu
  14. God's Glory Nursery School
  15. Goodhope Nursery School
  16. Gulu Baptist Nursery School
  17. Gulu Central Nursery School
  18. Gulu Vision Nursery School
  19. Holy Rosary Kindergarten
  20. Hope Academy Nursery School
  21. J $ S Nursery School
  22. Jesus Is The King Of Kings
  23. Jesus Is The Truth Nursery School
  24. Layibi Green Nursery School
  25. Light Ray Nursery School
  26. Mama Elisabeth Nursery School
  27. Mamiyo Outreach Preparatory School
  28. Mary Queen Of Peace Nursery School
  29. Mmanuel Junior School
  30. Moonlight Junior Academy
  31. Mother Angioletta Kindergarten
  32. Mother Fatima Nursery School
  33. Mother Lydia Nursery School
  34. Mother Martina Nursery School
  35. Mother Paulina Nursery School
  36. Motherland Nursery School
  37. Olive Good Shepherd Nursery School
  38. Our Lady Of Good Counsel
  39. Police Nursery School
  40. Queen Of Martyrs Nursery School
  41. School Road Nursery School
  42. Seek And Find Nursery School
  43. Shalom Christian School-Palaro
  44. Sos Helmut Kutin Kindergarten Nursery School
  45. Joseph Nursery School
  46. Josephine Bakhita Nursery School
  47. Jude's Nursery School
  48. Mary Junior School
  49. Mauritz Nursery School
  50. Michael Daycare Centre & Nursery School
  51. Top Care Nursery School
  52. Unifat Nursery School
  53. Victory Nursery School
  54. Wapwoyo Nursery School

Primary schools

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  1. Abaka P.7 School
  2. Airfield Primary School
  3. Ajulu Primary School
  4. Akonyibedo P.7 School
  5. Akwii Community School
  6. Aleda Primary School
  7. Angaya P.7 School
  8. Annabel's Public School
  9. Aswa Camp Primary School
  10. Awach Central P.7 Primary School
  11. Awach P.7 School
  12. Awach Public School
  13. Awoo Nyim Primary School
  14. Bright Valley Primary School
  15. Bulkur Primary School
  16. Bungatira Central P.7
  17. Bungatira P.7 School
  18. Burcoro Primary School
  19. Cet-kana Primary School
  20. Charlton Primary School
  21. Christ Church Primary School
  22. Christ The Center Ministries Primary School
  23. Christ The King Dem P.7 School
  24. Coopil Primary School
  25. Corner Stone Primary School
  26. Credo Primary School
  27. Cubu Primary School
  28. Cwero Primary School
  29. Denis Primary School
  30. Disciples Primary School
  31. Ebenezer Modern Primary School
  32. El-shaddai Mixed Day Primary School
  33. Emmanuel Primary School – Laroo
  34. Favour Of God Primary School
  35. Froebel Primary School
  36. God's Glory Primary School
  37. Goodhope Primary School
  38. Gulu Baptist Primary School
  39. Gulu Police Primary School
  40. Gulu Primary School
  41. Gulu Prison Primary School
  42. Gulu Ptc Demo. School
  43. Gulu Public School
  44. Gulu Town School
  45. Gulu Vision Primary School
  46. Gwengdiya Primary School
  47. Hermann Gmeiner Primary School
  48. Highland P.7 School
  49. Holy Rosary P.7 School
  50. J & S Primary School
  51. Jesus Is The Truth Primary School
  52. Kalamaji P.7 School
  53. Kasubi Central Primary School
  54. Kasubi P.7 School
  55. Kiju Hill P.7 School
  56. Kirombe Primary School
  57. Kiteny Owala Primary School
  58. Kitinotima Primary School
  59. Kulu Keno Primary School
  60. Kulu-opal Primary School
  61. Labourline Primary School
  62. Laliya Primary School
  63. Laminto Primary School
  64. Lapuda Primary School
  65. Laroo P.7 School
  66. Latwong Primary School
  67. Layibi Central P.7 School
  68. Layibi Green Primary School
  69. Layibi Primary School
  70. Layibitecho Primary School
  71. Light Ray Primary School
  72. Lukodi Primary School
  73. Lukome Primary School
  74. Mama Cave P.7 School
  75. Mama Elizabeth Primary School
  76. Mary Immaculate P.7 School
  77. Mary Queen Of Peace Mixed Primary School
  78. Mmanuel Junior School
  79. Moon Light Junior Academy
  80. Mother Angioletta Primary School
  81. Mother Ludia Primary School
  82. Mother Martina Primary School
  83. Mother Paulina Primary School
  84. Mother Teresa Primary School
  85. Motherland Primary School
  86. Mt. Olive Good Shepherd
  87. Negri P.7 School
  88. Obiya P.7 School
  89. Obiya West Primary School
  90. Ocer Campion Jesuit College
  91. Ocetaka Community School
  92. Ogul Primary School
  93. Oguru P.7 School
  94. Olel P.7 School
  95. Omel Boke P.7 School
  96. Omorti Hill Primary School
  97. Onekjii Primary School
  98. Our Lady Of Good Counsel Primary School
  99. Oywak Primary School
  100. Pageya Peace Omel Apem Primary School
  101. Pageya Primary School
  102. Pagik Primary School
  103. Paibona Primary School
  104. Paicho P.7 School
  105. Pakwelo Primary School
  106. Palaro P.7 School
  107. Paminano Primary School
  108. Panykworo Primary School
  109. Patiko Prison Primary School
  110. Pawel Angany P.7 School
  111. Pawel Ayiga Primary School
  112. Pece P.7 School
  113. Pece Pawel Primary School
  114. Pena Ebenezer Primary School
  115. Pok-ogali Primary School
  116. Rwot Obilo P.7 School
  117. School Road Primary School
  118. Shalom Christian School
  119. Shalom Christian School Agung
  120. Shalom Christian School Palaro
  121. St. Joseph P.7 School
  122. St. Josephine Bakhita Primary School
  123. St. Jude Primary School
  124. St. Kizito Primary School – Aywee
  125. St. Martin Primary School
  126. St. Mary's Junior School
  127. St. Michael Primary School
  128. St. Peters Laroo Primary School
  129. Starlight Junior School
  130. Te-ladwong Primary School
  131. Tegot P.7 School
  132. Unifat P.7 School
  133. Unyama P.7 School
  134. Victory Primary School
  135. Vienna Junior D&b School
  136. Wapwoyo Primary School
  137. Wii-aworanga Primary School
  138. Wilul P.7 Primary School

Secondary schools

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  1. Alliance High School
  2. Awach Secondary School
  3. Bishop Angelo Negri College
  4. Charity College
  5. Creamland High School
  6. Graceland Girls Secondary School
  7. Gulu Army Secondary School
  8. Gulu Central High School
  9. Gulu College
  10. Gulu Crested Crane Secondary School
  11. Gulu High Secondary School
  12. Gulu Parentscomprehensive College
  13. Gulu Secondary School
  14. Heligoland High School
  15. Laroo Seed Secondary School
  16. Lukome Secondary School
  17. Nile Progressive Secondary School
  18. Northern City High School
  19. Northland High School
  20. Ocer Campion Jesuit College
  21. Paicho Secondary School, Gulu
  22. Palaro Secondary School
  23. Patiko Secondary School
  24. Pece Secondary School
  25. Pope Francis College
  26. Pope John Paul II College
  27. Sacred Heart Secondary School
  28. Sir Samuel Baker School
  29. St. Joseph's College Layibi
  30. Trinity College, Gulu
  31. PP Newton Secondary School

References

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  1. ^ a b c Uganda Bureau of Statistics (27 August 2014). "The Population of The Regions of the Republic of Uganda And All Cities And Towns of More Than 15,000 Inhabitants". Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  2. ^ Ampurire, Paul (22 May 2019). "Cabinet Approves Phased Creation Of Nine New Cities Beginning 2020". Kampala: SoftPower Uganda. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  3. ^ Uganda Radio Network (21 May 2019). "Cabinet approves creation of nine cities". Daily Monitor Quoting Uganda Radio Network. Kampala. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Location of Gulu Municipality At Google Maps" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Road Distance Between Kampala And Gulu" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  6. ^ Dolan, Chris (2009). Social Torture: The Case of Northern Uganda 1986-2006. p. 42.
  7. ^ Britannica, Gulu, britannica.com, USA, accessed on June 30, 2019
  8. ^ Doom, Ruddy and Koen Vlassenroot. "Kony's Message: A New Koine? The Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda", African Affairs 1999:98(390), p.24.
  9. ^ Mao, Norbert (6 April 2009). "Gulu Will Make Bagool Gape With Awe And Wonder". New Vision (Kampala). Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. ^ Moro, Justin (5 April 2009). "Gulu Closes IDP Camps". New Vision (Kampala). Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  11. ^ Russo, Roberta (11 September 2007). "Uganda's IDP Camps Start To Close As Peace Takes Hold". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  12. ^ Nielsen, Kai (6 January 2012). "UNHCR Closes Chapter On Uganda's Internally Displaced People". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  13. ^ Klein, Alice (24 January 2012). "Northern Uganda's Displaced People Are Left To Fend for Themselves". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  14. ^ "Climate: Gulu - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  15. ^ "World Weather Information Service". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Estimated Population of Gulu Town In 2002, 2010 & 2011" (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Kampala, Uganda. June 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  17. ^ a b Citypopulation.de (14 June 2020). "Projected Population of Gulu City Divisions In 2020" (Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics). Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  18. ^ UMI (2014). "About the Gulu Campus of Uganda Management Institute". Uganda Management Institute (UMI). Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  19. ^ Jackson Kitara (16 November 2016). "University of Sacred Heart Gulu to open next year with two bachelor degree programs". Gulu: Kitara Jackson Wordpress. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  20. ^ "Thrive-Gulu, Inc". Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  21. ^ Alex Otto, and James Owich (13 January 2014). "UGX 120 Billion Needed to Upgrade Gulu Airport". Kampala: Uganda Radio Network. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  22. ^ RGI (9 October 2013). "Uganda's Northern Line Revived". Railway Gazette International (RGI). Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  23. ^ UKSW (February 2014). "Match Schedule for Gulu United FC". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  24. ^ Ojara, Emmy Daniel (22 April 2017). "Pece Stadium Renovation Finally Starts". Uganda Radio Network. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  25. ^ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 2920
  26. ^ "A new District in Gulu". President Collings, LDS Missionary. 22 June 2019.
  27. ^ a b Jean Marie Takouleu (28 October 2020). "Uganda: Government inaugurates water and sanitation project in Gulu". Paris, France. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  28. ^ "Biografski dodaci" [Biographic appendices]. Republika: Časopis za kulturu i društvena pitanja (Izbor iz novije afričke književnosti) (in Serbo-Croatian). XXXIV (12). Zagreb, SR Croatia: 1424–1427. December 1978.
  29. ^ heidelberg.de/volltextserver/6262/1/Catherine_Kyobutungi, Catherine. "Mortality from cancers and external causes of death among Aussiedler in Germany 1990-2002 – an epidemiological cohort study" (PDF). University of Heidelberg. Retrieved 11 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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