Why we should not destroy Uganda’s precious heritage sites

On April 15, 2019, like many others, I watched online as the medieval French Gothic marvel that is Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, was ravaged by fire.
Unsurprisingly, President Macron declared that this national treasure - the spiritual, cultural and emotional heart of France and a World Heritage Site, will be rebuilt.

The fire at Notre-Dame reminded me of the day I heard the news that the important royal tombs at Kasubi - the iconic final resting place of four of the mid to late 19th and 20th-century former kings (Ssekabakas) of Buganda, was similarly and tragically devastated by a conflagration in 2010. Like Notre-Dame, Kasubi is also a World Heritage Site and is still under reconstruction.

The destruction of both places got me thinking about our other important ancient sites and monuments in Uganda and how many of them have been or are being destroyed with little thought of their significance to the nation or the world.

Uganda has an astonishing number of extraordinary sites and, remarkably, some new ones have come to light, in recent years.
However, regardless of the Historical Monuments Act of 1967, many of these amazing places are at serious risk of semi or total destruction, owing to pressure on land for agriculture, the grazing of livestock, as well as the building of roads and houses, among other things.

Rock art in Nyero
One such example is Nyero in eastern Uganda. Made up of at least five sites, Nyero is famous for the ancient and enigmatic Late Iron Age ochre and white kaolin rock art.
Interestingly, there appear to be two different artistic and stylistic rock art traditions, represented at Nyero. One style, finely painted in ochre, and the other style in white kaolin depicting geometric designs and concentric circles. All the rock art is being destroyed by graffiti, animal fat being daubed directly onto it as libations, and by quarrying around the environs.

If the area is not secured and protected, one wonders how long it will take before these numerous indiscriminate acts will destroy this important rock art for good.

Nyero had been known by locals for centuries, if not millennia, and much later by European officials since 1913. The site was gazetted in 1972.

Over the years, many locals and foreigners have admired and researched this rock art and appealed to government to protect the various sites at Nyero, to little avail.

Eventually, in 1997, the sites were placed on the ‘Tentative List’ for nomination, as a Unesco World Heritage Site, but since then, nothing more seems to have been done about readdressing its status.

Lugard's Fort
Similarly, in Kampala, much of Captain Fredrick (later Baron) Lugard’s late 19th century fort was destroyed and its artefacts looted, during the building of the Uganda National Mosque.
The fort, which was began in 1891, was a demonstrative, muscular, symbol and tool of Imperial conquest, power and exploitation which Lugard mentions building in his diaries and which once strategically sat atop Kampala Hill protecting the lucrative economic gains of the Imperial British East Africa Company.

For me, the significance of this fort with its alien architecture and which was was gazetted, was that it showed the often uncomfortable and complex tangled history of the British Empire and its agents within Buganda. Sadly, all that is now left of the fort is a later, modest building in the neo-classical style.

Bweyorere site
My last example is in western Uganda at Bweyorere. This important site offers a valuable window onto Ankole's (Nkore's) precolonial past.
It was, at one time, the most notable and best preserved of the many ancient capital sites of the former kingdom of Nkore and dates, according to oral history and archaeological evidence, from around the mid- 16th century.

In its day, it appears to have been the capital and centre of power for a number of Abagabe (Kings of Ankole). It was a large bustling hub with its royal court, standing army and other inhabitants. The site included, among other things, thatched palaces, homes, areas of light industry and cattle kraals for the king’s magnificent long-horned Ankole cattle herds.

The ruins of this site were discovered in 1958 as a result of the detailed oral and written records of Nuwa Mbaguta, the Enganzi or prime minister of Ankole (1885-1937), which he passed onto his son-in-law and successor, Lazaro Kamugungunu, Enganzi of Nkore (1937-1946).

Mbaguta’s notes and oral history were then published in the book Abagabe b’Ankole that the historian Roland Oliver used to find said site.

Unfortunately, despite being a gazetted and protected site of significance, Bweyorere suffered extensive damage from the excavation of murram during the construction of the Mbarara-Isingiro-Kikagati road.
Uganda’s hidden treasures
Uganda has an embarrassment of riches in form of archaeological sites, forts, buildings, forests, wetlands and national parks.
A great number of these may fit the Unesco World Heritage Sites criteria as areas of outstanding universal value and heritage but, alas, they are not even listed on Unesco’s Tentative List since they have not been submitted by the Uganda Government.
I am sure numerous countries would envy what Uganda has, yet many Ugandans do not seem to know about, appreciate or understand the importance of these places, hence their destruction.
Research on neglected sites

How many of us are aware that many academics - with expertise in various fields, from some of the most prestigious universities in the world - come to Uganda, year after year, to study and write theses or articles on these neglected ancient sites and monuments?
Indeed, many of these same academics have built careers on the remarkable research opportunities to be had here and they are keenly aware of what many Ugandans are, lamentably, not - which is, that our sites and monuments are of international significance.

For me, the aforementioned examples and others like them throughout the country make our history come alive by making it visible and vibrant once more.

Yet, lack of awareness of what we have has often struck me when I speak to relatives or friends and ask about this site or that monument.
Sadly, many of them know very little or nothing at all about the vast majority of Uganda’s extraordinary sites, monuments and places, while their children seemingly learn next to nothing about them in school.

Is this too insignificant?
Is it perhaps because our curriculum and textbooks are inadequate or outdated, with a paucity of information about our own histories, archaeologies and other achievements? Is this so insignificant a subject that people have more pressing matters to attend to?

We are, after all, a developing country and some may say that conserving these sites and monuments is a luxury, we may not afford, as it is too ‘elitist’ and any money that would be spent on protecting and conserving these sites of national importance would be better used elsewhere, on vital amenities.

Additional revenue source
While I partly agree with the latter point, I would also argue that by protecting, conserving and managing these incredible sites sustainably, for all to appreciate, they can become an additional revenue source for the country and their respective communities, in perpetuity, stimulating economic growth through academia and tourism.

The result of this may be further employment opportunities for Ugandans in various other industries, such as hospitality.
That said, for this to be done correctly, it may require international assistance and expertise for the proper conservation and management of these fragile sites and monuments.

More than just a playground
Uganda is much more than an adventure playground with white-water rafting, rappelling, quad-biking and the visiting of national parks. We have a wealth of history, art, archaeology and culture.

All Ugandans should be rightly proud of this precious heritage, regardless of which part of country they come from.
However, if we destroy all this, then to paraphrase the 19th century German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s, oft-used, racist and fallacious quote, “Uganda (i.e. rather than Africa) has no history and did not contribute to anything that mankind enjoyed,” may become reality.

It is, therefore, incumbent upon all of us – Ugandan and non-Ugandan residents - to be responsible for this priceless heritage.
We need to act now to prevent further destruction of the existing ancient sites, monuments and natural wonders and understand what is at stake for both Uganda and the world.

The author is a freelance art historian, researcher and writer.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated and editing errors in the original article have been fixed. We apologise for inconveniences caused to the author and readers