The Uganda Museum
If you really have interests in understanding the history of Uganda as a country, life style of its people, cuisine and culture. Then, visit is the Uganda Museum located on Kitante Hill in Kampala along Kiira Road in Kamwokya. It has a collection of diverse natural-historical, cultural and traditional art facts and Uganda’s heritage; among the collections in the Uganda Museum are playable musical instruments, hunting equipment, weaponry, archaeology and entomology. The largest and oldest museum in Uganda was established in 1908 to preserve Uganda’s history and heritage after Governor George Wilson called for “all articles of interests” on Uganda to be procured. The museum has a lot of artefacts from different parts of the country including displays of Uganda’s indigenous culture, archaeology, history, science and natural history. The expression and display of the artefacts in glass boxes makes visitors to admire in silence the safeguarded objects on display which creates a memorable experience.
The Uganda museum is made up of various galleries: – Traditional music gallery display a comprehensive collection of traditional musical instruments such as drums, percussion, wind and string instruments, also offers live performance to the visitors. Ethnography section contains cultural and lifestyle artefacts of historical and cultural value, there is display of objects on health, knowledge systems, and objects of warfare, traditional dressing and others. Archaeology/early history gallery contains Stone Age, Iron Age and stone tools which were used many years ago. The Independence Pavilion science and technology section has transport (7th car in Uganda) and communication (model of the 1st telephone in East Africa). Then, the palaeontology section has the fossils aged about 20,000,000 years ago. Touring in all these sections while learning the history of Uganda provides one with an exciting experience that you should not miss when you Kampala.
At the site there is a cultural village (living museum) with huts depicting traditional lifestyles of people in Uganda. This is good for visitors interested in experiencing indigenous ways of the Uganda people, an array of cultural material such as milk pots made from wood (ebyanzi), gourd vessels, basketry, bead work, ceramics, cutlery, armoury, and musical instruments are displayed. There different houses depicting the traditional building styles from different communities with interesting architectures. Therefore, when you visit the museum, you will be able to see, do and view many things that create unique experience, they include:
- You will be able to see and study traditional things in Uganda
- You will see the skeletons of the important animals and the history of Uganda
- You will get a chance to discover and understand history of Uganda
- You will be exposed to different musical instruments used to production music traditionally and for entertainment and even get a chance of playing these instruments
- You will have a look at fighting weapons used by early men as well as hunting weapons
- You will watch live entertainment from different cultural settings and also be able to view the traditional buildings of the different societies in Uganda
- The museum offers educational services in form of demonstration lessons, outreach programs, workshops and complimentary services
Come and experience the tradition life of the Ugandan people by touching and viewing artefacts as well as learning the history and heritages of Uganda.