Regional MPs oppose plan to break national museum

Lawmakers from the East African Legislative Assembly yesterday rejected the planned demolition of Uganda Museum—one of the country’s most symbolic cultural sites—to pave way for the construction of government offices.

Members of the EALA Agriculture, Tourism and Wildlife committee told journalists at Parliament that the move is “destructive and unreasonable”.
A three-member delegation led by Mr Mike Ssebalu and Dan Kidega were in the country to assess the tourism potential.

“We condemn any plans by government to demolish the Uganda Museum in strongest terms possible,” Mr Ssebalu said. “A country without heritage sites is a dead one. Instead of demolishing this important site, the government should expand the museum to attract more tourists.”

The museum, founded in 1908, has exhibits of traditional culture, archeology, history, science, and natural history. The Uganda society’s library is also housed in one room at the museum.

The EALA intervention comes after the Tourism Ministry sanctioned the construction of a 60-storey building on the site that currently houses the Uganda Museum, a national heritage centre.

Daily Monitor reported last month that the demolition of the museum, located on Kira Road in Kampala, will pave way for the construction of the tourism ministry’s headquarters. The ministry is currently housed at Farmers House on Parliament Avenue.

While in the plan, the government intends to allocate two floors in the new building to house the museum, EALA members rejected the idea and asked the government to suspend the proposal. MPs have also asked the government to expedite the restoration of Kasubi tombs.

“In Egypt, the country earns more than $1m dollars per day from tourists to the museum in Cairo. This is a big boost to the economy and we should emulate such countries and protect our tourism sites,” Mr Ssebalu said.

Cultural conservation experts and MPs have also weighed in and promised to block the proposal, which they term outrageous. “Whoever came with this dim-witted idea will be held responsible,” said Aswa MP Reagan Okumu, the chairperson of the parliamentary committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises.

“We intend to summon Uganda Wildlife Authority, ministry officials and the Uganda Tourism Board to explain what’s going on. Our decision is that the museum shouldn’t be touched.”

In April last year, the Auditor General, Mr John Muwanga, said in his report for 2009/10 that Uganda Museum could soon be up for grabs after it emerged that the facility’s title deed had disappeared in unclear circumstances. Ministry officials are under investigation over the missing deed.

Infant plan
The museum houses the country’s cultural heritage where one can see ethnological and natural-historical exhibitions. It is a vivid reminder of the country’s colourful past and fetches millions of shillings annually. State Minister for Tourism Serapio Rukundo has since admitted that the project was still in its infant stages.