The Uganda Museum is the oldest and biggest museum that historically was situated at Fort Lugard on Old Kampala Hill in Kampala city. Today it stands on Kitante hill and having different sections like; the Archeaology section, Paleaolontology section, traditional music section, Independence pavilion section, Ethnography and Ethnohistory section, Paleolontology section and many others.
The Uganda Museum is the oldest museum in East Africa and houses objects of archeological, paleontological,historical and ethnographical nature.The museums key functions are; research,collection,documentation,and exhibition.
History/Archeology
The section of archaeology in Uganda started immediately after the existence of the first museum in Uganda/ East Africa. Wayland E. J in 1929 began excavations and laboratory tests of Luzira head and his work was published in 1933. Since then Uganda has received more than forty researchers, students and academicians in the field of history and archaeology trying to dig and expose the past to the current and future generation.
Natural History
Natural history has specimens of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The museum acts as the national repository for these collections. Collections in storage provide opportunity for in-house research by museum scientists. Visiting researchers from other countries also study our behind- the -scene collections.
COLLECTION CATEGORIES
Mammalogy
The mammal collection includes skeletons, skins, skulls and fluid preserved specimens. Most of the collections originate from Uganda.
Ornithology
The bird collections number over 1000 specimens, mostly specimens from the work of C.Stephen and C.R.S. Pitman dating back to 1920s. The collections are in the form of flat skins, stuffed skins, skeletons, eggs and nests.
Herpetology
Uganda museum houses a prestigious spirit collection of amphibians and reptiles from the works of C.R.S.Pitman. This collection was made available to the world through his publication in 1937 of a book ‘A guide to the snakes of Uganda’.
Invertebrates
The invertebrate collection is limited to butterflies and moths donated by other institutions and individuals researchers and naturalists.
Paleontology
An impressive record of vertebrate fossils, including the oldest rhino in Africa or probably in the world, is housed in the museum. These fossil collections are extensively studied by researchers around the world as they try to answer questions on evolution and understand changes in the environment. Every year a Paleontological Expedition is conducted by scientists from France. This has helped grow the fossil collections.
History
Museum was officially established in 1908 and opened to the public in a Sikh Temple at Lugards Fort on old Kampala hill.
In 1941 the museum moved to Makerere School of Fine Art, under the curatorship of Margret Trowel.
In 1954 the Museum moved to its present home at Kitante Hill and celebrated 100 years of existence in 2008.
Vision
“Sustainably manage the museum and monuments in Uganda”
Goal
Secure Uganda’s rich and vibrant heritage for humanity, through a harmonised coordination and partnership with the private sector.
Objectives
- Sustainably manage and develop ugandas museums and monuments
- Promote cultural heritage conservation through research and training
- Mitigate negative impacts of development on cultural heritage
- Promote heritage awareness programmes
Admission hours/fees
The museum is open to the public everyday from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. School groups will be allowed during week days only and should book earlier with the education office
Ugandan Adults 2,000 Ug shs
Ugandan Children 1,000 Ug shs
Non Ugandan Adults 5,000 Ug shs
Non Ugandan Children 1,500 Ug shs
Still camera 5,000 Ug shs
Video Camera 10,000 Ug shs
Other Places of Interest
Makerere University’s main library in Kampala has a general collection, which is the largest in Uganda. The most important specialized collections, all in Kampala, are found in the Albert Cook Library at Makerere Medical School.