THE UGANDA MUSEUM
is a place where things of long time ago are kept. Uganda Museum-Kampala displays the natural history and traditional life collections of Uganda’s cultural heritage.
It was established in 1908 after George Wilson who called it “THE COLLECTION OF OBJECTS OF INTEREST”. The Uganda Museum has many playful musical instruments, hunting equipment’s, and weapons of that were used by people of long time ago.
Uganda Museum started as a small Sikh temple in old Kampala Hills at Fort Lugard thus being the oldest in East Africa. Between 1920 and 1940 some archaeologists collected a number of objects which was conducted by Church Hill, Bishop J Wilson among others looking forward in order to boost the Museum and tourism industry at large. In 1958 since the place was too small to hold the ever increasing number of historical interest, they decided to permanently settle it to their current home Kitante Hill and in 2008 they celebrated 100 years of existence maintaining the historical and cultural heritage.
SECTIONS FOUND IN THE UGANDA MUSEUM
Uganda Museum has a number of galleries categorized accordingly such as Natural History gallery, Traditional Music gallery, Ethnographic gallery, Science and Industry gallery and many others.
MUSIC GALLERY: This gallery displays a number of musical instruments from all parts of Uganda and are arranged according to their groups or sounds when blown. Such as drums, wind instruments and many others.
ETHNOGRAPHY: This section holds over million collections of historical and cultural materials that collects meaning of past and the present. Such as tradition reed door leads to interest of health, knowledge, objects of welfare, traditional dressing and many ceremonial practices.
CULTURAL VILLAGE:
At the back of the Uganda Museum building are the traditional houses (huts) of different lifestyle of early local people. For visitors, different things there make you experience and feel the Ugandan traditional ways of life. Such as milk pots made out of wood (Ebyanzi), basketry, beadwork, horn work, leather work and musical instruments being displayed.
These houses include Bamba, Tooro, Bunyoro among others but are classified according to the region and tribe. The Bagishu house is dotted with circumcision weapons like the knives, some houses contain arrows and bows which were used for hunting and protection purposes. Also there is a house that represents the central region and inside there is a bark cloth, drums, wooden sandals locally known as Emikalabanda, Mweso game played by Baganda people.
Though these houses belong to different tribes but somehow look alike since they are all made of dry grass (Essubi) and reeds but very beautiful and attractive.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
As a National Museum in Uganda there are some benefits especially in the Educational sector since it promotes research inform of demonstration lessons, workshops and outreach programs. The museum organizes topical lessons related to school curriculum, conducting tours, lectures by using the available specimen. Some films have been made and organized to be taken to the remote schools who are not able to come and pay visit to this wonderful craft existing in Uganda practically.
RESEARCH- has been conducted such as the fossil skull of the Hominidea but it collaborates with Mbarara University, Makerere University and natural History Museum in Paris. A wide collection exist far back in 1960 till recent when it was opened to researchers and students on a request study.
In conclusion
The Uganda Museum was started in 1908, located in Northern part of Kampala Kitante Hill Kira road just 5km away from the City Center. It can be accessed by public tax, motorcycle or by private means. COME AND ENJOY THE INTERESTING THINGS IN THE PEARL OF AFRICA-UGANDA.
