Uganda

Uganda sits astride the western branch of the East African Rift System, with its western border following the Albertine Rift — one of the oldest and most developed sections of the western rift arm. Lake Albert, Lake Edward, and Lake George all occupy graben basins within Uganda's borders or along its western edge, bounded by active normal [[fault]]s that have accumulated kilometres of displacement since the rift initiated approximately 12 to 25 million years ago. The rift faults in Uganda are capable of generating moderate-to-large earthquakes, and the densely populated western highlands and rift valley floor are significantly exposed.

The Albertine Rift in Uganda's west is flanked by the dramatic Rwenzori Mountains — an uplifted horst block between the eastern and western boundary faults — which rise to over 5,100 metres and represent the highest non-volcanic peaks in Africa. The Rwenzori block is bounded on both sides by active normal faults, and the region has experienced several significant historical earthquakes. On 5 March 1966, an earthquake of [[magnitude]] 6.8 struck near Toro (now Fort Portal) in western Uganda, killing approximately 100 people and causing widespread structural damage in the Rwenzori foothills. A magnitude 6.0 event struck the same region in 2016, causing casualties and structural damage in Kasese and surrounding areas.

The Lake Albert region has experienced numerous events in the magnitude 4.5 to 5.5 range over the past century. The Semliki Fault, which runs along the Albertine Rift floor between Lakes Albert and Edward, is a major active structure with evidence of recent fault scarps. The Buhoma area near the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, close to the DRC border, has experienced earthquake swarms related to the rift.

The eastern part of Uganda, including the Elgon region near the Kenya border, sits on older Proterozoic basement and experiences lower seismicity than the west. Occasional moderate events have been detected near Mount Elgon, a large extinct Miocene volcano.

The [[epicenter]] distribution of Ugandan earthquakes clearly defines the geometry of the western rift branch, with clusters along the Albertine Rift axis and at the Virunga volcanic field in the extreme southwest. [[seismic-wave]] studies of Ugandan rift earthquakes show predominantly normal-faulting mechanisms consistent with east-west extension, with estimated extension rates of 1 to 3 millimetres per year. The increasing population density in western Uganda — combined with widespread use of unreinforced masonry construction — creates a significant seismic risk exposure, particularly in the towns of Fort Portal, Kasese, and Masindi. Kampala, the capital, sits on the eastern plateau away from the main rift axis but could experience moderate [[intensity]] from large western rift earthquakes.