Uganda Museums and Monuments
Uganda National Museum.
The National Museum of Uganda is the oldest in East Africa and perhaps the best rooted in an ethnographic collection first exhibited in 1905 in a small Greek temple near Lugard fort on Hill of Old Kampala. The Museum was officially established in the year of 1908 and it was initially known by the local Baganda as Enyumba Ya Mayembe (House of fetishes) and its exhibits were believed to bestow supernatural powers on the colonial government. The museum was shifted in 1954 to its present site on Kiira road. For those with an interest on pre-colonial African history, a lot of amazing exhibits on the Nakayima tree, Ntusi, Bigo bya Mugyenyi as well as other aspects of the history of Uganda. The more rewarding is magnificent collection of traditional musical instruments from all over the continent and the ethnographic gallery which houses a variety of exhibits relating to traditional Ugandan life styles. In the back yard there are vehicles of historic people and the huts of all traditional tribes of Uganda.
Makerere University Zoology Museum
Makerere University – greatest institution of learning in East Africa contains a museum in the Department of Zoology, College of Natural sciences. The museum houses a collection of fossils of animals, birds and plants. It has acted as a center for academic research for several years past and various exhibits continue to be added. It is worthy of visiting while in Kampala city.
Uganda Monuments
from left to rght is the Independence monument, stride monument and Sir Edward Muteesa II monument
The Independence Monument
This historical feature is one of the rewarding sights in Kampala city. Rising magnificently to the height of 6 meters, the monument commemorates the attainment of Independence in 1962. It is situated at the heart of the city of Kampala amidst Grand Imperial Hotel, Sheraton Hotel and Standard Chartered Bank.
It was put up by the British colonial administration a year before the celebration of Uganda’s independence in 1962. This historical feature depicts a man unwrapping a child and raising a child to touch the sky. This demonstrates a new born nation set free from bondage of colonialism. The independence monument was crafted by Gregory Magoba and unveiled by the first Prime Minister of Uganda Apollo Milton Obote (R.I.P)
The stride monument:
This is located amidst Kampala Serena Hotel and the Parliamentary gardens and was put up in commemoration of the Common Wealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2007. It was uncovered by the Queen of England and it is so far the most expensive monument in Uganda with a total cost of 150 million Uganda Shillings. The works of the stride monument were conducted by a team of eleven professional sculptors under the command of Prof. George Kyeyune. The wife husband and son aluminum assemblage moving forward depicts that common wealth countries are developing together as a family.
Sir Edward Muteesa II monument
This is positioned at the Speke road and Nile Avenue Junction in close proximity to the independence monument. This monument was put up to commemorate Sir Edward Mutesa II the first president of the independent Uganda and the 35th King of the Kingdom of Buganda for his work towards the struggle for independence in Uganda.
The facilitation for this feature was footed by the Roofing Limited, Bank of Uganda and Mr. Gordon Wavammuno – a local entrepreneur. The Kabaka of Buganda – Ronald Muwenda Mutebi unveiled this Monument in 2007.
from left to right is the Independence monument,Leadership monument,World war monument, Stride monument and the Education monument
World War Memorial Monument
This is the oldest monument in Kampala city. Built in 1945, the world war monument commemorates the lives of Ugandans that were lost during the world war II while fighting alongside the British and the western democrats against the Rome Berlin Tokyo Axis from 1939 – 1945. The monument is 5feet and positioned in the constitutional square.
The Centenary Monument
This is positioned in the famous Centenary Park along Jinja road in close proximity to Hotel Africana. It commemorates the centenary of the Kampala City Council – the governing body of Kampala City. This feature was designed by a Makerere University Artist, Sylvia Katende and it stretches up to 6 feet.
The Statue of Leadership
This is situated in front of the Amber House on Kampala road commemorating the introduction of electricity in Kampala. The sculpture features Sir Apollo Kaggwa the Prime Minister of Buganda Kingdom from 1890 – 1926. He is celebrated for having advocated for the extension of electricity and purified water to the Kingdom of Buganda amidst critics from the local Baganda who thought he was wasting time on unnecessary things instead of requesting for gold and guns. The 7 feet monument was facilitated by Electricity body with a hand from National Water and was uncovered in 2002 by the then Minister of Energy Hon. Saida Bbumba.
Education monuments
Various Institutions of learning including Universities and colleges contain monuments depicting the role of education.
Kyambogo University had a monument with three kids struggling to touch a book and it was put up in commemoration of 100 years of the education sector in Uganda. The monument was unveiled by Kintu Musoke in 1996.
Makerere University has the Monument titled Hatching a new generation in front of college of Natural Sciences. It depicts the new dawn in the world of academics in Uganda with rising of many institutions under the example of the fully established Makerere University.