Diana Kibuuka
Completed after the Uganda Railway in 1928, the Jinja Railway station linked the pier – that was once terminus of the first railway in the country – the Busoga railway, Tororo, Northern Busoga and Kampala.
The one-year-old national railway museum, located along the Jinja-Iganga Highway at the Railway Station in Jinja City, is housed in one of Jinja’s oldest and historical buildings, with rich and resourceful artefacts from the days before the railway in Uganda, the life during the early days of railway development, the era of colonial expansion, and the railways after independence.
A day at this unique museum will enable a visitor trace Uganda’s railway history through eye catching captioned photographs, diagrams and artefacts, as one gets guided through by a trained guide, and visit a locomotive and railway carriage, among other services.
The international museum day, set by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1977, aims at increasing awareness of the importance of museums in developing societies as the living memory of peoples, an addition to providing an opportunity to museum professionals to tell stories through the collections.
This year’s theme: Museums, Sustainability, and Well-being reflects on the role museums play in promoting sustainable development within communities and according to the Natural History curator at Uganda Museum, and the Vice president of International Council of Museums – Uganda , Amon Mugume says there are many ways in which museums can contribute to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: from supporting climate action and fostering inclusivity, to tackling social isolation and improving mental health.
“Throughout the country, we have witnessed individuals, families, communities and institutions initiating spaces for museums, to depict and preserve their culture, biodiversity and institutional heritage – to us this is a positive gesture that Ugandans have started realizing the importance of museums” noted Mugume.
To date there are approximately 35 such museums in all parts of the Uganda. Some are located along main transport routes or in main towns whereas others are in more remote areas and others in Institutions like Bank Of Uganda, Parliament, Uganda Revenue Authority, Universities and Police.
Mugume explains that in order to shape the museum of tomorrow, International Council Of Museums, delivers high standard capacity building programs with the support from its network aiming at improving museum practices in Uganda and promoting professional cooperation between institutions, as they identify the gaps that exist.
“For example, most museum workers in Uganda that we have today, have only learnt their practice on job which gap we are trying to close by conducting practical workshops that improve museum professionalism” elaborates Mugume.
This year’s National Museum celebrations are taking place in Gulu, focusing on the sustainable goals (SDGs): SDG 3: Global Health and Well-being; SDG 13: Climate Action; and SDG15: Life on Land.
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