Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda-CCFU ED, Ms Barbra Babweteera Mutambi, Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa and other officials during the launch of ‘Inspiration from the Past’ book at the East African Revival Museum grounds. This Museum is under Ankole Diocese in Western Uganda.
Rise News Uganda Network, key players in Africa’s culture and heritage sector have asked development partners to support digitization of culture and heritage, as the world embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The World marked Museum Day on May 18, 2025 under the theme “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities”, but developing countries like Uganda are still grappling with serious challenges, especially lack of awareness, scarcity of resources, funding and other bottlenecks.
Uganda’s national commemoration was held in Kabale municipality in the western side of the country near the Rwanda-Uganda border, under the theme “Preserving Heritage, Transforming Communities”.
Amid several challenges, Ugandan Museum managers have now vowed to harness AI in promoting cultural and heritage. Uganda has over 65 ethnicities with different cultures and heritage.
The Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda-CCFU, an organization collaborating with these museum managers, as it champions projects to promote and preserve culture in Uganda, is also concerned over the policy gaps hindering this critical sector.
According to Ms. Barbra Babweteera Mutambi, the Executive Director CCFU, Ugandan authority’s policy makers should intervene urgently to ensure that the country benefits from its rich culture and heritage.
“UNESCO indicates that over USD three trillion will be earned from cultural tourism in the next three years worldwide. Uganda should wake up and take a share on that,” she explained.
Reinforcing the importance of culture in shaping one’s identity, community museums have been at the forefront in upholding the culture of a particular area within its operation, allowing generations to understand their roots, and why things are done in a particular manner.
“Community museums play a big role in promoting learning about the culture of a given area. If you don’t know where you’re coming from, you can’t know where you’re going,” she added.
CCFU has also launched the ‘Inspiration from the Past’ book, showcasing historical buildings and sites in different cities and other selected areas across the country.
