Uganda Post Limited was founded as part of the East African Community. The East African Post and Telecommunications Act in 1951 organized the postal system according to an agreement between the Kenya Colony, the Uganda Protectorate, and the Tanganyika Territory. The 1977 dissolution of the East African Community voided the East African Post and Telecommunications Act. The East African Post and Telecommunications Corporation (EAPTC) was replaced by the Uganda Posts and Telecommunication Corporation (UPTC), although this was not legalized by the parliament of Uganda until 1983.
Uganda Post Limited was given control over the postal service and the 1997 Communications Act split Uganda Post Limited into a million shares, each valued at Ushs 25,000. The Ministry of Finance owns an overwhelming majority with 999,999 shares, with the one remaining share owned by the Ministry of Works, Housing, and Urban Development. Although Uganda Post Limited has changed its name to Posta Uganda, the postal service has not been privatized.