President Museveni has called on traditional and cultural leaders across Uganda to take a leading role in protecting Africa’s heritage, preserving indigenous knowledge and safeguarding cultural identity for future generations.
The President said Africa’s cultural institutions must become active custodians of the continent’s history, languages, traditional skills, values and practices, many of which were eroded by colonialism and its aftermath.
He made the remarks while addressing traditional and cultural leaders on the opening day of a two-day conference at State House, Entebbe, where discussions centred on cultural preservation, indigenous knowledge and the contribution of traditional institutions to national development.
President Museveni emphasised that Africa’s shared history, cultural heritage and linguistic connections provide a strong foundation for strengthening continental unity, cooperation and economic integration.
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 the historical and cultural ties that bind them.
He challenged cultural leaders to protect these shared identities and ensure that indigenous traditions, knowledge systems and cultural practices are documented, preserved and passed on to younger generations.
The President also stressed that cultural institutions should complement, rather than compete with, elected government structures. He said traditional leaders should concentrate on preserving heritage, promoting indigenous knowledge and guiding their communities, while leaving legislation, public administration and other constitutional responsibilities to elected and established government institutions.
He cautioned against politicising cultural institutions, arguing that their strength should lie in cultural preservation, community guidance and promoting social cohesion.
President Museveni identified indigenous knowledge as one of Africa’s most valuable assets, calling for deliberate efforts to protect traditional skills and practices that continue to contribute to livelihoods and economic development.
He cited traditional expertise in agriculture, livestock keeping, fishing, blacksmithing, carpentry, leather tanning, pottery and other forms of craftsmanship, saying such knowledge should not be allowed to disappear but instead be documented and transferred to younger generations.
He also called for the promotion of indigenous food systems, traditional crops and livestock breeds, noting their contribution to food production, household incomes and economic resilience.
The President linked the preservation of Africa’s heritage to the continent’s broader development agenda, outlining five historical missions: liberation from colonialism, democracy, economic prosperity, strategic security and African unity.
He argued that political independence must be accompanied by economic independence, which requires African countries to strengthen their productive capacity, manufacture goods and services and access larger markets.
In this regard, he highlighted the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as important platforms for expanding trade, creating markets and strengthening regional integration.
He further called for deeper East African cooperation, arguing that shared history, cultural connections and common economic interests provide a basis for closer integration and eventual political federation.
In their presentation, cultural leaders called for stronger partnerships with the government to protect Uganda’s cultural diversity and harness it as a resource for national development.
They described traditional kingdoms, chiefdoms and community-based cultural institutions as important custodians of national identity, indigenous values and historical knowledge, as well as key contributors to reconciliation, peace and social cohesion.
The leaders proposed joint programmes with the government covering cultural preservation, tourism development, agriculture, community industrialisation, wealth creation, women’s economic empowerment and skills development.
As part of their 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 asked the government to support the initiative with improved seeds, livestock, irrigation facilities, agricultural machinery, extension services and technical expertise.
They 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.
In one of their key proposals, the cultural leaders called for the establishment of a Digital Cultural Park to document and showcase Uganda’s kingdoms, traditional leadership systems, historical sites, cultural artefacts, indigenous knowledge, music, dance, food and other cultural practices.
The initiative is intended to provide a platform for preserving cultural heritage while making Uganda’s diverse traditions more accessible to younger generations, researchers, tourists and the wider international community.
They also proposed partnerships to develop cultural tourism destinations around royal and historical sites, palaces and traditional burial grounds, with the aim of promoting heritage tourism and generating economic opportunities for communities.
Additionally, the cultural institutions 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 private sector players to celebrate Uganda’s cultural diversity, promote national unity and stimulate cultural tourism.
Other proposals focused on strengthening women’s economic empowerment through enterprise development, cooperatives, vocational training and access to financial services, alongside expanding community skills development and employment opportunities.
The leaders also called for a clear framework of engagement, regular dialogue and mutual respect between the government and cultural institutions to strengthen their participation in national development programmes.
They cited inadequate staffing, limited infrastructure and low public awareness as some of the challenges affecting cultural institutions, appealing for government support to strengthen the Forum of Cultural Institutions and improve coordination among traditional 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 identified 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 highlighted the economic potential of Uganda’s creative and cultural industries, commonly known as the Orange Economy.
The sector, which includes music, film, performing arts, fashion, crafts, cultural tourism, publishing, design and digital creativity, offers significant opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
The two-day conference brought together traditional and cultural leaders representing different communities and institutions across Uganda to discuss ways of protecting cultural heritage, preserving indigenous knowledge, strengthening social development and enhancing the role of traditional institutions in national transformation.
The discussions highlighted the importance of safeguarding Africa’s cultural identity not only as a responsibility to preserve the past, but also as an investment in future generations, community livelihoods and the continent’s development.
