Uganda Museum: Cultural Heritage Display

The Ugandan tourism industry continues to celebrate the permanence of the Ugandan museum, however as Ugandans do this they must reflect on why museums are important and deserve celebration. In general, museums are a source of cultural knowledge of a given people in a given period. Often, it is not only the art collection in the museum that counts, but also the historical or cultural significance of the buildings in which they are housed. A museum gives character to a country and is a sign that the people of a country are educated, value and respect their heritage and are willing to learn from it.

Outwitting his predecessor by miles in wisdom and brainpower, the new Minister of Tourism, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, finally told the public what was an open secret in the halls of the tourism ministry; that the museum will stay. In addition, the Acting Principal Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Mr. James Byenjeru, who filed an affidavit with the Kampala High Court, said that the planned complex that will house the ministry of tourism will be built near the museum.

“I know that the government intends to build the East Africa Trade Center next to the building that houses the museum and as such has no intention of demolishing the Uganda Museum,” Mr Byenjeru said. He also added that the Ugandan government intends to expand the museum from the current 600 square meters to 1,400 square meters and the old structure will be kept in the new structure and modernized with more cultural displays.

Some time ago, the former tourism minister had insisted on plans to build a 60-story Mall on the grounds of the National Museum, regardless of the fact that the museum is a place of unique historical value to Ugandans and to Uganda. However, tourism stakeholders breathed a sigh of relief when the General. Otafire was transferred to the Ministry of Justice, a move that left the legal fraternity in stitches, and he warmly welcomed the Hon Prof. Ephraim, the “gentleman minister”, as another interested party. Teacher. Ephraim previously worked as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry.

“Our new minister is talking about crucial issues as if he were one of us,” commented one of the Ugandan safari operators, showing that Prof. Ephraim’s hard work during the first few months at the tourism board is starting to pay off. its fruits and is earning the respect of the tourist fraternity.

The National Museum of Uganda is located in Kampala, and it is where the natural history, traditional past, and ethnological collections of Ugandan culture are showcased and displayed. Some of these collections include; hunting equipment, musical instruments, archeology and entomology. The National Museum of Uganda was founded in 1908 when George Wilson requested that “all articles of interest” about Uganda be acquired.

Uganda’s largest general collections can be found at the Makerere University Main Library in Kampala, while all of Kampala’s major specialist collections are housed at the Albert Cook Library at Makerere College of Medicine (Makerere University). ), Kyambogo University and the Cabinet office.

Above all, the museum is not only a building, but also a history and the history of a country. Therefore, demolishing the museum is a total destruction of the soul of Uganda, because a country without history is a country without a soul.