Minister hails return of 39 Ugandan artifacts from UK museum

____________________

The state minister for tourism Martin Bahinduka Mugarra has said the batch of cultural heritage artifacts is the second and highest single return in the country’s history.

The first return occurred in July 1962, during the independence celebrations, when the Kibuuka regalia were repatriated.

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and the Uganda National Museum received 39 of Uganda’s cultural heritage artifacts that have for over 100 years been kept in the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The return of Uganda’s cultural heritage artifacts from Cambridge University Museum. (Courtesy photo)

They were taken from Uganda during the 1890s.

“These invaluable pieces were taken from Uganda during the 1890s and early 1900s by British colonial administrators, anthropologists, missionaries, and soldiers,” Mugarra noted.

The return of Uganda’s cultural heritage artifacts from Cambridge University Museum. (Courtesy photo)

The minister explained that the processes to repatriate the artifacts began in 2016 under the 'Rethinking Uganda Museum' project, which was conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan.

“This is not unique to Uganda. Many other African countries including Nigeria, Namibia, Ghana and Kenya are also getting these returns,” Mugarra noted.

“Finally home! 39 treasured objects taken from Uganda in the 1890s and early 1900s during the British Colonial rule made it to the Uganda Museum. This is historical and a milestone in the repatriation of Africa’s lost heritage. Thank you to the team that made this possible,” said a statement from the Uganda National Museum.