MPs oppose fresh plans to demolish Uganda Museum

By Mercy Nalugo (extract from Daily Monitor)

Parliament has protested the planned demolition of the Uganda Museum and tasked government to produce a comprehensive report on the matter.Lubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi on Friday raised the matter on the floor of the House when he reported that he had received information from credible circles to the effect that government would in two months demolish the country’s most symbolic cultural sites to pave way for the construction of a 60-storey modern mall.

“Mr Speaker, we are saddened by the news that government intends to demolish the museum in order to construct a mall but this we shall not allow and we are ready to die,” said Mr Lukyamuzi, attracting debate.

Govt to explain
Former Vice President Gilbert Bukenya (Busiro North) opposed the demolition of the museum, saying it is one of the country’s major tourist attraction centres that has been preserved for a long time and for a purpose.

The Prime Minister, Mr Amama Mbabazi, said he was not prepared to give an explanation. The Deputy Speaker, Mr Jacob Oulanya, ruled that the Prime Minister produces a statement on the matter on Thursday next week.

Retired Supreme Court Judge George Kanyeihamba, some Members of Parliament and cultural rights activists, last month launched a campaign to save the Uganda National museum , the country’s national heritage centre, from being demolished.

Prof. Kanyeihamba said he will task the Executive on why government, which promised to protect the heritage of the country, is now backtracking on its own pledge.

The Ministry of Tourism in 2010 sanctioned the construction of a trade tower on the site and government intends to save two floors for the museum.

The museum, founded in 1908, has exhibits of traditional culture, archeology, history, science, and natural history.

mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com

Quanti sono i musei in Italia?

In Italia abbiamo 4.739 musei e istituzioni similari, dei quali:

399 Istituti statali,

198 Musei statali ,

201 Monumenti e aree archeologiche,

4340 Istituti dipendenti da altri soggetti pubblici e privati,

802 monumenti,

129 siti archeologici,

3.409 Musei (il 45% gestito dai Comuni)

(...) Dati Rapporto sul Sistema dei Beni Culturali di Fare Ambiente, 2011.

Personalmente penso che i musei in Italia siano molti di più, più del doppio del numero riportato, che immagino sia ufficiale.

Non vengono infatti rilevati come musei, tanti piccoli musei e collezioni che non rispondono a norme fatte non per loro, ma per i grandi musei.

Giancarlo Dall'Ara (dal blog Piccoli Musei)

News about the campaign to save the Uganda Museum

Activists in renewed drive to save museum

In a last minute effort to save Uganda's only national museum, a group of civil society organizations, members of the academia and other stakeholders have renewed the campaign to stop the intended demolition of the Uganda Museum.

The museum faces demolition to pave way for construction of a 60-storey building dubbed the East African Trade Center. Some reports say demolition could be as close as two months away. On Monday, retired Supreme Court judge Prof George Wilson Kanyeihamba, vice chancellor of the International University of East Africa (IUEA), Prof Eric Edroma and maverick Rubaga South MP, John Ken Lukyamuzi, joined the drive to save the museum.

In the renewed campaign, activists plan demonstrations to force government to stop what they describe as "a barbaric demolition" of the museum. They launched car stickers to raise awareness and rally Ugandans to oppose the move. The Save Uganda National Museum campaign is spearheaded by Historic Resources Conservation Initiatives (HRCI), Cross-Cultural Foundation Uganda (CCFU), Jenga Afrika and Historic Buildings Conservation Trust and Heritage.

Launching the stickers on Monday at Ibamba restaurant next to the museum on Kira road in Kampala, Prof Kanyeihamba lambasted government for continuing to harbour intentions of demolishing the museum even when Ugandans have objected to the move.

"How do you demolish our history? It is only primitive and barbaric people that demolish their history" he said.

Kanyeihamba advised government to build the trade centre near Lugogo and spare the museum.

"We have information that government has already awarded two companies tenders to construct [the trade centre]", said Ellady Muyambi, HRCI's executive director.

He said there is suspicion that someone might be trying to grab the 11.5 acre property on which the museum sits. "If there is no foul play, why is the land title missing?" he wondered.

The 2010 Auditor General's report revealed that the museum's land title was missing from the land registry. The Uganda Museum was established to conserve, promote and interpret Ugandaís cultural and natural heritage through research, collections, documentation and imparting knowledge for today and the future. Founded in 1908, the museum is arguably East Africa's oldest. It was first built at Fort Lugard in Old Kampala, where it stayed until 1942 when it was transferred to Makerere University. It was shifted from there to its current site in 1954.

On January 14 last year, the tourism, trade and industry ministry placed an advert in the New Vision for interested bidders to enter into contract with the Government to finance, design and build a proposed 60-storey building on plot 5 Kira road, where the current museum is situated. Construction of the 60-storey skyscraper, whose developer remains anonymous, is planned to take 10 years. It will house the ministry of tourism and two floors will be reserved for the museum, according to government.

In April last year, civil society organizations filed a civil suit in the High Court to stop government's plan to demolish the museum. Although court did not grant the petitioners a temporary injunction, the case is scheduled for hearing on April 18 this year. Several initiatives are already ongoing, including campaigns on social media networks like face book to raise awareness about the matter.

ssekika@observer.ug

Extract from: The Observer