National Museum must go - Otafiire
Mar 06, 2011
CIVIL society organisations and politicians that are against the demolition of the Uganda museum are backward, trade minister Kahinda Otafiire has said.
By Alfred Bukenya
CIVIL society organisations and politicians that are against the demolition of the Uganda museum are backward, trade minister Kahinda Otafiire has said.
Last week, law makers from the East African Legislative Assembly rejected the planned demolition.
The permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry, James Onen, said there was no need for cultural activists and politicians to worry about the proposed development.
“What makes up a museum is not the building but the content. We shall preserve and transfer whatever is inside the old building to the new one when completed,†he said.
Onen said there was need to demolish the old building because its current state does not guarantee the safety of the historic belongings housed there. The proposed 60-storyed building would take 30 years to be completed.
Onen said the centre would be built through a public-private partnership and would cost over sh760b.
He said the museum would not be transferred elsewhere as earlier reported because the Government would reserve two floors for it in the new building.
The director of the conservative cultural development centre, Robert Tumwesigye, said he would sue the Government if the museum was demolished.
“We cannot let our cultural belongings be mixed with business. We will seek a court injunction seeking the cancellation of the deal,†he said.
When completed the building will be one of the tallest buildings in Africa. It will house local and international corporations, supermarkets, oil companies and private business entrepreneurs.
CIVIL society organisations and politicians that are against the demolition of the Uganda museum are backward, trade minister Kahinda Otafiire has said.
Last week, law makers from the East African Legislative Assembly rejected the planned demolition.
The permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry, James Onen, said there was no need for cultural activists and politicians to worry about the proposed development.
“What makes up a museum is not the building but the content. We shall preserve and transfer whatever is inside the old building to the new one when completed,†he said.
Onen said there was need to demolish the old building because its current state does not guarantee the safety of the historic belongings housed there. The proposed 60-storyed building would take 30 years to be completed.
Onen said the centre would be built through a public-private partnership and would cost over sh760b.
He said the museum would not be transferred elsewhere as earlier reported because the Government would reserve two floors for it in the new building.
The director of the conservative cultural development centre, Robert Tumwesigye, said he would sue the Government if the museum was demolished.
“We cannot let our cultural belongings be mixed with business. We will seek a court injunction seeking the cancellation of the deal,†he said.
When completed the building will be one of the tallest buildings in Africa. It will house local and international corporations, supermarkets, oil companies and private business entrepreneurs.