The entrance of the Uganda Railway Museum in Jinja. The facility was opened in March 2022. PHOTO/ Cross-cultural Foundation Uganda
Today, Uganda celebrates the International Museum Day in Kabale under the theme Preserving Heritage, Transforming Communities. The celebrations, coordinated by the International Council of Museums reaffirms the critical role that culture and heritage play in shaping the nation’s identity and driving tourism.
These cultural assets continue to be powerful attractions for both domestic and international tourists, strengthening the tourism sector while fostering pride and community development. With the temporary closure of the Uganda Museum, regional museums have taken on a vital role in preserving culture and heritage while also promoting tourism across the country.
One should note that, since 1954, exhibits at the Uganda National Museum have not been changed. This creates boredom to cultural visitors and therefore they cannot return three times as there is not enough rooms for temporary exhibitions.
According to Ms Jackline Besigye Nyiracyiza, the acting commissioner for museums and monuments, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, (MTWA) is working with other supporting bodies to promote and grow all cultural heritage sites in the country.
“As a ministry, we have three major regional museums which were established during the colonial period,” she says.
These include Kabale Regional Museum, Soroti Regional Museum and the Karamoja museum located in Moroto. However, there are other museums such as Kigulu Cultural Museum-Iganga, Mountain of the Moon-Fort Portal, Mt Elgon Museum of History and Culture-Mbale, Nyamyarro Museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of the local communities, including the Baganda people, Toro, Bugisu and the Iteso people.
The Kabale Museum premises next to Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi road in Kabale Town. PHOTO/ROBERT MUHEREZA
Kabale Regional Museum
The Kabale Regional Museum traces its origins back to the 1960s, when it was first established in a former Indian temple. After the expulsion of Indians from Uganda in the 1970s the building was repurposed to serve as a regional museum. The initial collection of artefacts displayed there formed the foundation of the museum’s exhibits.
In 2008, the then Ministry of Trade established a dedicated centre on Bunyonyi road in Kabale, which now serves as the museum’s current home. This new facility – reopened in September 2024 - has provided a more permanent and structured space to showcase the region’s rich cultural and historical heritage. The museum has hundreds of ethnographic collections and showcases basic information about Kigezi.
The topics include Historical background; How Kigezi came into existence, migrations of inhabitants, Evolution of boundaries and current area of Kigezi, landscape and weather and how they are economically being utilised by the people, their cultural history, economic and political history. It has information about the Kigezi peoples’ origin, Ethnic groupings and the way they live, cultural history, set ups, ceremonies such as marriage, food and drinks, music and dance, among others.
The Kabale Museum premises next to Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi road in Kabale Town underwent renovation ahead of he 2025 national celebrations for the International Museum Day hosted in Kabale District. PHOTO/ROBERT MUHEREZA
The museum also showcases endangered artefacts in the greater Kigezi community. The museum is set to be officially commissioned today during the International Museum Day celebrations, marking a significant milestone in its development and contribution to preserving Uganda’s history.
The Soroti Regional Museum
The Soroti Regional Museum was established in 1945, making it one of Uganda’s earliest regional museums. It initially operated out of the Rukiko Hall in Soroti, an important administrative building where the city’s mayor held official meetings. As the need for a more dedicated space grew, the then Ministry of Trade acquired four hectares of land in Soroti. A significant cultural centre was subsequently established on this site to better preserve and showcase the region’s rich history and heritage. The Soroti Museum tells the story of the Iteso people in Uganda. It unravels their origin, histories, cultures as well as socio economic lifestyle in relation to environmental changes, political transformations, contemporary and external influences. Among the artefacts, is the Unseen Archive of Idi Amin' exhibition at Soroti Regional Museum: the photos show different elements of the exhibition. Much of the gallery consists of pictures of President Amin in eastern Uganda. In 2024, the museum was officially commissioned by Jessica Alupo, the vice president of Uganda, marking a new chapter in the conservation and celebration of the Teso sub-region’s cultural legacy.
Karamoja regional museum
Karamoja Cultural Museum, located at the foot of Mount Moroto in Singila village in Katikikile Sub-county – Moroto District, was constructed with funding from the French government, and officially commissioned by then minister in charge of Karamoja Affairs Janet Museveni, and the then French Ambassador to Uganda, Aline Kuster-Ménager, the in March 2012. The museum houses an impressive collection of traditional artefacts and exhibits that provide invaluable insights into the lives, customs, and history of the Karimojong . These mostly comprise fossils exhibits that are more than three million years old. Most of these are dug from the mountains in the Karamoja region where they were buried by hot magma as a result of volcanic eruptions. Among the most sought-after exhibits here are the teeth of the oldest known fossil monkey, Victoria pithecus macinneni known in the world, 19 to 20 million years back. It was roughly the size of a vervet monkey.
New regional museums in the pipeline
More than five other regional museums are yet to be established. In Arua, for example, Ministry of Tourism plans to establish another regional museum, with preparations already underway, including the acquisition of land, bills of quantities, and an architectural plan.
This museum will notably feature exhibitions on ‘dark history’ associated with former president Idi Amin Dada, shedding light on a significant yet complex chapter of Uganda’s past. Additionally, in Fort Portal City, the ministry has secured eight acres of land, generously allocated by the city authorities, for the future construction of another regional museum.
"The city allocated us eight acres for the construction of a regional museum in Fort Portal, and this project is also in the pipeline," noted Ms Besigye Nyiracyiza. Meanwhile, the Mugaba Palace in Mbarara has been earmarked for development into a cultural and kinship heritage centre, which will showcase the rich history of the Ankole region, preserving the traditions and leadership structures that existed before the abolition of kingdoms in 1967.
Speaking at the launch of the International Museum Day 2025, Tourism State Minister Martin Bahinduka Mugarura emphasised the urgent need to develop more museums and heritage sites across Uganda to further promote cultural preservation, tourism growth, and community engagement. “Culture is the fastest-growing product now. It is probably going to beat the wildlife product soon. And that is why the government is investing in cultural sites,” he said “As a government, we are committed to protecting these sites, to developing them, to making them more appealing, but also to selling them so that people will be able to make some money so that this culture can be transformative for our societies.”
One of the inviting sculptures outside the Uganda Museum. PHOTO | ANDREW KAGGWA
Impact on society
According to Ms Besigye, the establishment of regional museums across Uganda is playing a crucial role in driving the growth of the tourism sector and uplifting communities. “We want to create more awareness on culture and heritage, bringing services closer to the community,” she emphasised.
The regional museums are not only preserving Uganda’s rich cultural legacy but also directly creating employment opportunities for residents. By recruiting staff from surrounding communities, the museums are boosting household incomes and fostering community ownership of cultural heritage projects.
“These regional museums are going to create jobs and of course, we are employing people in the community,” Ms Besigye added.
Moreover, as more regional museums are developed, there is a significant potential for increased domestic revenue generation through tourism activities. These museums are expected to attract both local and international visitors, thereby stimulating economic activity in their respective areas.
By bridging the gap between heritage conservation and community development, Uganda is steadily building a stronger, more inclusive tourism sector rooted in pride for its cultural identity. “The more original museums we create the more domestic revenues,” she said.
The ideal.
One should note that, since 1954, exhibits at the Uganda National Museum have not been changed. This creates boredom to cultural visitors and therefore they cannot return three times as there is not enough rooms for temporary exhibitions. – Ministry of Tourism
The entrance of the Uganda Railway Museum in Jinja. The facility was opened in March 2022. PHOTO/ Cross-cultural Foundation Uganda
Matter.
The establishment of regional museums across Uganda is playing a crucial role in driving the growth of the tourism sector and uplifting communities.
“We want to create more awareness on culture and heritage, bringing services closer to the community,” Jackline Besigye Nyiracyiza, Ag. commissioner for museums and monuments.
