Buganda activists storm museum
A group of over 100 Buganda traditionalists on Monday stormed the Uganda Museum, demanding for artifacts linked to one of their war gods, Kibuuka
By Conan Businge
A group of over 100 Buganda traditionalists on Monday stormed the Uganda Museum, demanding for artifacts linked to one of their war gods, Kibuuka.
“We want a decent, ceremonial burial for our god. We are not here to stare at his remains and go away,†one of them said.
Among the remains linked to Kubuuka are an umbilical chord, a lower jaw bone, a penis, and a testicle in a wooden case decorated with cowrie shells.
Other artifacts linked to him are decorated mats, a basket, two spears, two shields and a stool, as well as goat skins and the hide of a leopard.
The museum’s commissioner for antiques, Dr. Ephriam Kamuhangire said the remains were yet to be proven by a pathologist to have come from Kibuuka’s body.
The items were handed over to the museum by the British government after Uganda attained independence.
The activists converged at the museum’s gate in the morning and managed to force their way into the compound. But before they could enter the museum building the Police was alerted.
A team from Kira Police Station swung into action immediately and restrained the activists. The group retreated and pitched camp outside the gate, but later retreated to town.
They shunned the museum’s invitation to view the artifacts, unless they were allowed to leave with them. Kamuhangire said there was no way the museum would release the artifacts unless a recognised caretaker was identified.
A group of over 100 Buganda traditionalists on Monday stormed the Uganda Museum, demanding for artifacts linked to one of their war gods, Kibuuka.
“We want a decent, ceremonial burial for our god. We are not here to stare at his remains and go away,†one of them said.
Among the remains linked to Kubuuka are an umbilical chord, a lower jaw bone, a penis, and a testicle in a wooden case decorated with cowrie shells.
Other artifacts linked to him are decorated mats, a basket, two spears, two shields and a stool, as well as goat skins and the hide of a leopard.
The museum’s commissioner for antiques, Dr. Ephriam Kamuhangire said the remains were yet to be proven by a pathologist to have come from Kibuuka’s body.
The items were handed over to the museum by the British government after Uganda attained independence.
The activists converged at the museum’s gate in the morning and managed to force their way into the compound. But before they could enter the museum building the Police was alerted.
A team from Kira Police Station swung into action immediately and restrained the activists. The group retreated and pitched camp outside the gate, but later retreated to town.
They shunned the museum’s invitation to view the artifacts, unless they were allowed to leave with them. Kamuhangire said there was no way the museum would release the artifacts unless a recognised caretaker was identified.