Gulu

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

The coordinates of the city of Gulu are 2°46'54.0"N 32°17'57.0"E. The city's distance from Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city, is 333 km by road. Gulu is served by Gulu Airport.

History
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.

In the 1960s, many Sudanese, Rwandan, and Congolese refugees settled in the city. 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. Up to 15,000 children, known as "night commuters", were fleeing into the city for safety every evening. 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. 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. Since the spring of 2007, there has been relative peace in the region as the LRA became a much less significant threat.

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

Demographics
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. The 2014 population census put the population at 152,276.

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.

Education
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. Gulu also hosts University of the Sacred Heart Gulu, a private university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu.

Health
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.

Air
The city is served by Gulu Airport, which has a tarmac runway that measures 10314 ft. Gulu Airport is the second biggest airport in Uganda after Entebbe International Airport.

Rail
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.

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

Places of worship
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, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are also Muslim mosques.

Water and sanitation
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 42000000 m3 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.

Phase II of the project involves establishment of a drinking water intake plant, upstream of Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station, with pumping capacity of 10000 m3 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.

Notable people

 * Okot p'Bitek, poet
 * Taban Lo Liyong, poet and writer
 * Otema Alimadi, former premier of Uganda
 * Lumix Da Don, musical artist
 * Judith Heard, fashion model
 * Catherine Kyobutungi, born here in 1972
 * Pen-Mogi Nyeko, veterinarian, academic and statesman. Former Vice Chancellor of Gulu University 2002–2018.
 * Betty Aol Ocan, Politician, Former Leader of Opposition in the 10th Parliament of Uganda.
 * Norbert Mao, President Democratic Party, Former Member of Parliament Gulu Municipality, Former LC5 Gulu District, The Current Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Museveni's NRM Government.
 * Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, Ugandan journalist, politician and member of the Parliament representing Gulu West (Bardege-Layibi Division).

Languages spoken by people of gulu district.

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

nursery schools

 * 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

 * 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

 * 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 High 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
 * 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
 * 29) St. Joseph Layibi
 * 30) Trinity College, Gulu