Kampala, Uganda – In a symbolic and highly anticipated media briefing held today at the Uganda Media Centre, the Honorable Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Tom Butime, officially launched Uganda’s participation in International Museum Day 2025 (IMD2025). The grand national celebration will be hosted in Kabale Municipality, South Western Uganda, on 18th May 2025.
Guided by the international theme, “Preserving Heritage, Transforming Communities,” this year’s celebrations aim to raise awareness on the vital role museums play in cultural preservation, education, economic development, and fostering social unity.
The Hon. Minister emphasized the need to reposition museums not just as keepers of history, but as dynamic institutions contributing to job creation, tourism, and national development. He noted that Uganda’s museums are increasingly becoming innovation hubs for storytelling and heritage dissemination.
This year’s event is expected to attract a diverse mix of participants including:
- His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda, who will preside over the main celebration in Kabale
- Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, Deputy Speaker of Parliament
- Officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs)
- Private sector stakeholders, representatives from the diplomatic corps, local governments, cultural institutions, educational bodies, and the media
Among the planned awareness-raising initiatives are:
- Cultural tours to both regional and private museums
- A Cultural Museums Conference
- CSR activities
- Primary and Secondary School quizzes, debates, and poetry competitions
- A Tertiary Institutions Symposium
- Sports gala
- Bull roasting and exhibitions
- A Tour Guides training in Cultural Tourism Management
These activities will build up to the grand ceremony on 18th May 2025 in Kabale, which will be presided over by President Yoweri Museveni, accompanied by top government officials, stakeholders from the tourism and heritage sectors, local leaders, private partners, and the general public.
The event reaffirms the government’s commitment to transforming Uganda’s cultural heritage landscape into a tool for unity, identity preservation, and economic growth.
