Uganda — Stamps & Postal Service

Postal Service Overview

Posta Uganda (Uganda Post Limited) is Uganda’s national postal operator. Uganda’s philatelic claim to fame is unique and extraordinary: the 1895 “Typewritten Stamps” of Uganda — produced on a typewriter by the missionary Reverend Ernest Millar because no printed stamps could be obtained — are among the world’s rarest and most historically unusual stamps. These were used on actual mail in the Kingdom of Buganda at the heart of what would become Uganda. Official British Uganda Protectorate stamps and later KUT stamps followed, with independent Uganda issuing stamps from 1962.

Notable Stamp Issues

The 1895 typewritten stamps — also called “Uganda Cowboys” or “Missionaries” — were typed on thin paper and initialled by the printer. Each stamp is unique, as they were individually typed. Perhaps 15–20 examples exist in various collections. British Uganda Protectorate stamps (1895–1903) followed — conventionally printed but historically important. KUT joint stamps (1935–1961) served Uganda alongside Kenya and Tanganyika. Independent Uganda stamps from 1962 depicted the national crane (the crowned crane on the Ugandan flag), Murchison Falls, and Lake Victoria.

Collecting Tips

Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth catalogue covers Ugandan stamps. The 1895 typewritten stamps require top-level expertisation and are beyond most collectors’ reach — but their story is essential knowledge for any philatelist. British Uganda Protectorate stamps (1895–1903) are classic rare African colonial items. KUT stamps used in Uganda bear Kampala and Entebbe postmarks. Independent Uganda’s gorilla stamps (from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest) are popular with wildlife collectors. Idi Amin-era stamps (1971–1979) are historically significant.

Part of the Africa Postal Directory.