Uganda will join the rest of the world on May 18 to celebrate International Museums Day 2026, to be held in Jinja City.
According to the State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Martin Mugarra, this year’s celebration is anchored on promoting sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
Mugarra noted that through global partnerships, the ministry has collaborated with museums in Europe and Africa to improve and sustainably preserve and conserve the nation’s heritage.
“Through these partnerships, Uganda has become one of the few countries that have returned many artefacts in the short period; from UK-Cambridge Museums of Archaeology and Anthropology, Kenya- Late John Wilson’s Karamojong Collection of the 1960s and recently repatriated objects from the Netherlands that were owned by Cor Blok, who collected artefacts from 1965 to 1967 while working at Butabika Hospital as a psychiatrist.”
Mugarra revealed that at the celebrations, the ministry will showcase some of the artefacts. He noted that Uganda has positioned itself internationally to champion Tourism, through cultural diplomacy and mutual understanding, showcasing the uniqueness of its heritage to the global world.
He added, “The ministry, through the Department of Museums and Monuments, is using this platform to raise awareness on Museums and safe spaces for dialogue and mutual understanding for one another.”
The government has prioritised the development of important historical sites for the promotion of Peace and Unity among communities, such as Barlonyo Memorial Museum in Lira, Kabalega-Mwanga site in Dokolo, Fort Partiko in Gulu, to mention a few, which will be used to promote peace and unity among communities and also enjoy their shared values and heritage.
The Acting Commissioner for Museums and Monuments, Jackline Nyiracyiza, noted that the development of museums across the country is also part of the broader strategy by the ministry to diversify Uganda’s tourism products.
We have built a good museum in Karamoja, which will facilitate tourism in the Karamoja region. We plan to have the Karamoja museum open by September, and several collections that were returned from Kenya will be there. For those who do research, the museum will also help to facilitate this.”
She revealed that the National Museum, which is under renovation, will be opened in the next financial year (2026/2027). Nyiracyiza noted that works at the National Museum are currently at at 75%. The Museum was temporarily closed in 2024 for extensive renovations.