Reimagining Theodore Roosevelt’s East African expedition of 1910

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In 1909, shortly after stepping down as the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt embarked on what would come to be known as the Smithsonian–Roosevelt African Expedition.

The year-long journey from Kenya through Uganda to the Congo, and then on to the Sudan and Egypt, resulted in over 11,000 specimens collected for the US  National Museum of Natural History.

As part of the expedition, Roosevelt visited the Kingdom of Buganda, and met the reigning Kabaka, Daudi Chwa II. That visit and meeting with the young king was to have a profound effect on the former President, especially his views on race, democracy and Black politics.

“When Roosevelt reached the east African kingdom of Buganda… he expected to find exotic animals to hunt and wild savages”, wrote Dr Jonathon Earle in an article for the Politico's website. “But what he discovered instead was something extraordinary, one of the most politically and socially sophisticated monarchies in the world. Buganda changed the course of American democracy.”

On Tuesday, December 09, the expedition will again be the focus of attention when numerous international stakeholders convene at the Explorers Club in Manhattan, New York City, as part of a cross-continental series of meetings on the future of development between the U.S. and Africa.

Central will be a discussion featuring Andrew Roosevelt, a descendant of the former President and Vice President of the Theodore Roosevelt Association; and Omulangira Nicholas Bassamula, great-grandson of Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa and founder of the Ntongo Royal Foundation.

The discussion, titled ‘The President & The King: A Throwback Conversation’, will be moderated by Prof Earle and will be part of the Roosevelt Africa Trail initiative, which aims at enhancing tourism growth in Uganda, blending cultural heritage with eco-tourism opportunities.

The event organisation is headed by Joshua Sentongo, Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Theodore Roosevelt Sustainable Development Initiative, in partnership with the Roosevelt Africa Trail.

It will feature leaders from the United States, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Egypt, alongside U.S. technology firms, academic institutions, and representation from the Roosevelt family.

Uganda will be represented by Minsa Kabanda, Uganda’s Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs; and Dr Jackline Nyiracyiza Besigye, Acting Commissioner for Museums and Monuments. Also attending will be Tendo Nagenda, a former executive at Disney and Netflix.

“Uganda’s involvement and leadership in this initiative remain indispensable,” said Prof Earle. “This will mark the culmination of a far-reaching collaboration between the Uganda Tourism Board and the Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Theodore Roosevelt Association, the Theodore Roosevelt Centre at Dickinson State University, and the diplomatic corps of Kenya, South Sudan, and Egypt.”