Uganda Flag

What does the flag of Uganda look like? The flag of Uganda is six horizontal strips of black, yellow, red, black, yellow, and red. There is a white circle with the national symbol, the gray-crowned crane, in the center.

Meaning of the Flag

The flag of Uganda has symbolism in its design and colors. The three colors of the flag are meant to symbolism the people of Africa, the sun that shines over the continent, and the brotherhood and connection of the African people. The flag also features Uganda’s national symbol of a grey crowned crane. The symbol was used as a military badge of the Ugandan people while under the rule of the British. This symbol was selected because of the crane’s fabled gentle nature, while its leg position is symbolic of the nation’s forward movement.

Colors of the Flag

There are three prominent colors in the Ugandan flag. The background is made up of six horizontal bonds in the colors of black, yellow and red. Each color is featured twice and are of equal size. The color white is also used for the disc superimposed on top of the horizontal bands. Inside the disc is the grey crowned crane, facing the hoist side. Colors used in the crane include grey, red, yellow and black.

The black stripes of the flag represent the African people, the yellow strips symbolize the sun, and the red stripes represent African brotherhood.

History of the Flag

A flag was first proposed for Uganda when the Democratic Party ruled the nation. The original design that was proposed featured vertical stripes of blue, green and yellow and featured a yellow crane in the center. However, when the party lost the national elections in the early 1960s, the design was rejected. The Uganda People’s Congress who was elected to rule the country at the time proposed the current design and was based on their own flag. This flag was designed by the Minister of Justice, Grace Ibingira. The British approved the design of the flag and it was officially adopted in 1962, when the nation gained its independence from the British.

Flag Facts

From 1914 to 1962, a flag was used by Uganda that featured the British ensign in the canton with the national symbol of the grey crowned crane also located on the flag.

The flag was officially adopted on October 9, the nation’s independence day.