Keep our Museum: there is more to heritage than economic value!  
Emily Drani,
The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda
March|2011

Civil society has received with alarm the news that our one and only Uganda National Museum is to be demolished. Initially, many hoped that this was a rumour, as no one in their right mind would consider razing our national heritage, even in the name of development and modernization, much as we all desire this. The cause for alarm was however confirmed when a bid for proposals to construct and manage the East Africa Trade Centre was published in January, accompanied by details posted on the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry website (www.mtti.go.ug).  This provides for the complete destruction of the Museum (although two floors in the new 60-storey Trade tower would house its collections).

The Uganda National Museum has value for us all not only because of its collections of prized ethnographic artefacts but because of the historic and cultural importance of what is often called that “old and dusty building.” If the National Museum is old and dusty, it is mainly because of weak political will to invest in heritage development and promotion. In most “modern” cities around the world, a national museum, as a stand-alone structure, is a clear indication of an appreciation of history and heritage – a statement of national identity. Uganda, as a nation with over 65 ethnic groups, constantly struggles with the issue of national identity, another reason to retain the few symbols and structures that depict our common history.

In the course of the protests against the plan to demolish the national museum, a common question keeps cropping up: “Of what economic value is the Museum, with its meagre gate collections, to national development?” Let us think: “Of what value or relevance are our grandparents to our sophisticated lifestyle today?” The Uganda Museum points the way to who we are as Ugandans – to our diversity rooted in our colonial history.

Development is needed, but should not be at the expense of our heritage and identity. Economic growth is only one aspect of development. In the 2010 Citizen’s Manifesto, the citizens of Uganda envisaged a peaceful, prosperous nation with happy people. Economic development is a means – not an end - to what we ultimately all want – peaceful, healthy, happy, dignified people. Our dignity, self-assurance and happiness, is to a large extent, based on our heritage – who we are.

Kampala may be attempting to exhibit development with tall buildings sprouting all over the city. Few, if any, of the designs of these buildings have a remote semblance to what can be identified as Ugandan. Why relegate Kampala to a city without character – a city that displays a poorly organized collection of “ultra modern buildings.” Indeed, how have we built on our God given natural environment? What is the point in having the tallest tower in Africa with a poor, displaced, unhealthy, unemployed population roaming the streets?

Beyond national pride, heritage development can also be a source of revenue for Uganda. This would demand teaching the population about the value of our heritage and creating meaningful employment through protecting, promoting and marketing our heritage at home and to the world. Visitors will not cross land and ocean to see yet another skyscraper:  they will come to see something that reflects our nation’s history, culture and identity. Nelson Mandela’s Home in Soweto; Ghandi Memorial Museums in India and South Africa; the Great Zimbabwe Wall; the Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt; the Taj Mahal in India out-compete the tallest skyscraper in terms of tourist attractions any day. They are a source of revenue because of the investment that has been made to recognize and maintain them. In Uganda, our history will only be as spectacular and appreciated as we ourselves perceive and project it.

The Uganda National Museum must therefore be revamped and expanded around its original structure with improved information technology; increased collections of artefacts to reflect our cultural diversity, as well as, representation of the social, cultural, economic, political and technological evolution of this country over the past decades – this requires space.

Erase our history today and create a precedent for the next generations to erase all our current achievements: in 50 - 100 years all this will be history!