President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has challenged traditional and
cultural leaders to take a more active role in preserving Africa’s
heritage, promoting continental unity and supporting government
efforts to transform communities through wealth creation.
The President said cultural institutions have a critical responsibility
to safeguard Africa’s historical identity, indigenous knowledge,
languages, traditional skills and cultural practices, many of which
were undermined by colonialism and its aftermath.
He made the remarks today while addressing traditional and cultural
leaders on the first day of a two-day conference at State House,
Entebbe.
President Museveni said Africa’s shared history, cultural heritage and
linguistic connections should be used as a foundation for
strengthening cooperation, economic integration and unity among
African countries.
Quoting Matthew 19:6, he said, “Therefore what God has joined
together, let no man put asunder,” urging Africans to overcome
artificial divisions and recognise their common heritage and shared
interests.
He emphasised that cultural institutions should complement, rather
than compete with, elected government structures, noting that each
institution has its own distinct responsibilities.
According to the President, cultural leaders should concentrate on
preserving heritage, promoting indigenous knowledge and advising
their communities, while leaving legislation, public administration
and other formal government responsibilities to the respective
constitutional institutions.
He cautioned against the politicisation of cultural institutions, saying
their role should remain rooted in cultural preservation, community
guidance and social cohesion.
President Museveni also identified the preservation and promotion of
indigenous knowledge as one of the most important contributions
cultural institutions can make to national development.
He cited traditional expertise in agriculture, livestock keeping, fishing,
blacksmithing, carpentry, leather tanning, pottery and other forms of
craftsmanship, saying such knowledge should be documented and
transferred to younger generations.
He also urged cultural leaders to promote indigenous food systems,
traditional crops and livestock breeds as part of efforts to strengthen
food production, household incomes and economic resilience.
The President said Africa’s development must be guided by what he
described as five historical missions: liberation from colonialism,
democracy, economic prosperity, strategic security and African unity.
He explained that political independence alone was insufficient
without economic independence, which requires countries to produce
goods and services and access bigger markets.
In this regard, he highlighted regional integration through the East
African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA) as important frameworks for expanding markets,
increasing trade and creating opportunities for producers.
He further called for stronger strategic security and deeper East
African integration, arguing that the region’s shared history, cultural
connections and economic interests provide a strong basis for closer
cooperation and eventual political federation.
Cultural leaders propose development partnerships:
In their presentation, cultural leaders called for stronger collaboration
with the government to harness Uganda’s cultural diversity as a
resource for social and economic transformation.
Through their representative, they described traditional kingdoms,
chiefdoms and community-based cultural institutions as important
structures for preserving national identity, promoting moral values,
strengthening social cohesion and supporting reconciliation and
peace.
They proposed joint programmes with the government in wealth
creation, agricultural development, community industrialisation,
tourism, cultural preservation, women's economic empowerment and
skills development.
Under the proposed wealth creation initiative, cultural institutions
offered to provide land for model agricultural farms that would serve
as centres for practical training, agricultural innovation, technology
transfer, food production and agribusiness development.
They appealed to the government to support the initiative with
improved seeds, livestock, irrigation facilities, agricultural machinery,
extension services and technical expertise.
The leaders also proposed establishing small- and medium-scale
production facilities within communities to promote agro-processing,
food manufacturing, textiles, crafts, leather processing and other
value-added enterprises.
On cultural preservation and tourism, they proposed the
establishment of a Digital Cultural Park to showcase Uganda's
kingdoms, traditional leadership systems, historical sites, cultural
artefacts, indigenous knowledge, music, dance, food and other
cultural practices.
They further called for partnerships to develop cultural tourism
destinations around royal and historical sites, palaces and traditional
burial grounds.
The cultural institutions also announced plans to organise a Uganda
National Cultural Festival in collaboration with the Ministry of
Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The proposed festival is expected to bring together cultural
institutions, artists, communities, tourism stakeholders, young
people and the private sector to celebrate Uganda's diversity, promote
national unity and stimulate cultural tourism.
Other proposals included strengthening women's economic
empowerment through enterprise development, cooperatives,
vocational training and access to financial services, as well as
expanding community skills development and employment
opportunities.
The leaders called for a clear framework of engagement, regular
dialogue and mutual respect between the government and cultural
institutions to enable them to participate more effectively in national
development programmes.
They also highlighted challenges affecting cultural institutions,
including inadequate staffing, limited infrastructure, and low public
awareness.
They appealed for government support to strengthen the Forum of
Cultural Institutions, which they lead, and improve coordination
among cultural institutions across the country.
The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Gen. Henry
Tumukunde, urged cultural leaders to work closely with the
government in addressing social challenges affecting communities.
He highlighted gender-based violence, harmful cultural practices,
child marriage, teenage pregnancy, poverty, unemployment and
discrimination against persons with disabilities as issues requiring
collective action.
The Minister also drew attention to the economic potential of Uganda's
creative and cultural industries, commonly referred to as the Orange
Economy.
The sector encompasses music, film, performing arts, fashion, crafts,
cultural tourism, publishing, design and digital creativity, which he
said offer opportunities for employment, enterprise development and
economic growth.
The two-day conference brought together traditional and cultural
leaders representing different communities and institutions across
Uganda to deliberate on cultural preservation, indigenous knowledge,
social development and the role of traditional institutions in national development
