Gulu City
Council has proposed plans to construct a modern museum.
According to
City council officials, the plans still at the inception stage will be
implemented in partnership with the Uganda National Museum.
Gulu City Council Mayor Alfred Okwonga says that the museum will be the first
of its kind in the Acholi Sub-region once established.
Okwonga says the city council is currently finalizing the concept and working
on an architectural design for the modern Museum which will help in the
preservation of culture and promote historical education.
He notes that they have already conducted a benchmarking at the Uganda National
Museum in Kampala to borrow ideas on the planned museum establishment in the
region.
“Museum is very important for the preservation of culture, information, and
tourist attraction among others. We hope this will help our people in the
region once it’s established,” says Okwonga.
Okwonga says
they intend to partner with the Uganda National Museum under the Ministry of
Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities towards the establishment of the museum in the
city.
Isiah Tumwesigye, Gulu City Council Town Clerk says besides offering education
about the Acholi heritage, the proposed museum will help to attract tourists
thereby earning the city council local revenue.
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Tumwesigye says the Museum will also have a wildlife tourism center where wild
animals will be kept for the local tourists who would have spent highly to
travel to Entebbe Wildlife Center.
He notes that the proposed Museum and Wildlife center will be established at
the now-defunct deer Park at Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School, about five
kilometers outside Gulu City center.
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He says they will conduct a feasibility study on the proposed site for the
establishment of the museum, prepare quotations and draw a design that will be
presented to the Uganda National Museum officials for partnership and funding.
Tumwesigye reveals that the proposed establishment of the Museum has earned the
city council the opportunity to host this year's International Museum
celebration slated for May 18th. He says the national celebration will further
boost the City council's quest to sell the Acholi heritage at the national and
international levels.
International museum day has been celebrated annually across the globe for the
last 40 years to pay tribute to the international museum community.
In the 2015/16 Financial year, the government made plans to construct regional
museums across the country with Arua and Fort Portal being the first to
benefit.
However last year, Samuel Kizaalwa, the Assistant Commissioner for Museums and
Monuments revealed that the plans had been put on halt for the development of
the National Museum in Kampala and the three regional museums in Kabale,
Moroto, and Soroti districts.
