Parliament has approved a proposal to establish a museum to house the history of 1981-1985 Luweero triangle war by the National Resistance Army that ushered in President Yoweri Museveni Presidency.
This follows a report authored by MPs on the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry on the FY 2O18/2019 on the Ministerial Policy Statements and Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
According to the report, the MPs wondered why government has neglected national museums and heritage, with questions being raised on why up to date there is no museum in the country that showcases Uganda’s liberation history.
MPs argue that Rwanda earns a lot of revenue from the genocide museums, noting that a museum about the NRA war is long overdue as it will increase on the country’s tourism products.
“The committee recommends that Government prioritizes the establishment of museums with emphasis on the liberation struggle for
Uganda,” the report reads in part. The report was adopted on Friday.
Parliament also adopted a proposal by the Committee to have the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) to place levies/fees through licensing and regulating tourism services and facilities to enable the entity generate revenue that would enable the institution to execute its mandate.
The committee observed with concern that Uganda Tourism Board is facing numerous funding challenges which has left the body incapacitated to compete with other regional destinations.
They cited an example of the 2017/2018 national budget where the Board was allocated Shs18Bn, but only Shs4bn was only released at the end of the half year period.
Uganda is the ranked least in funding tourism promotion and marketing among its regional competitors annually, with Kenya’s investments standing at USD50 million, Tanzania USD27M, and Rwanda USD 75Million.
Uganda lags behind with USD5M.
