By Anne Mugisa
and Joyce Namutebi

THE United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is looking for sh2b for the reconstruction of Kasubi Tombs, which were razed by fire in March.

UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova said the organisation is looking for between $0.5m and $1m to reconstruct the tombs to international standards. Bokova, the first woman to assume the post of director general since the establishment of the global body in 1945, said the organisation had asked the Government to submit a report by the experts committee that was mandated to assess the damage to the tombs.

She was closing the 12th conference of African National Commissions for UNESCO and the director-general’s consultations with the commissions at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel last week. The conference was attended by delegates from 44 African countries.

One of the objectives of the meeting was for the national commissions for UNESCO to provide ideas and budgets to be used by the director-general in drawing up the budget for the UN body for the year 2012-2013.

Bokova said Uganda requested for help to reconstruct the tombs and the request was “supported by the entire world community”. UNESCO has a role of protecting African world heritages,” she said.

In developing countries, she said, culture is a great force of growth and a source of social cohesion, especially in conflict areas.

“UNESCO wants to invest in cultural diversity as a means of ensuring that there is knowledge and understanding,” she said.

The tombs, which are used as the burial grounds for Buganda’s kings, were listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001. Some of the Buganda kings buried at the tombs are Muteesa I, Mwanga Basamula, Daudi Chwa and Edward Muteesa 11.

During her visit, Bokova, a former Bulgarian foreign minister, also met President Yoweri Museveni.