Did you know that the Independence Monument was sculptured by a university teacher?

INDEPENDENCE HISTORY

The monument is the work of Gregory Maloba, a former student and art teacher at Makerere University School of Fine Art and one of Uganda's first professional sculptors.

Standing at 29ft, the monument depicts a mother hoisting a child with hands raised heavenwards as if reaching for the skies. The mother stands firm on the ground, with both legs astride and with straps around the waist and legs.

The straps signify the bindings of colonialism out of which the new nation sprang.

The mother with a child signifies a new life that is being let out to thrive.

The monument is a symbolic figure set to represent a new beginning filled with hope. It was placed at what then was called King George V Jubilee Memorial Gardens, replacing the statue of King George V of Britain.

"In this work, Maloba portrayed the nation's aspirations, instilling into the minds of citizens a sense of purpose," prime minister Milton Obote said shortly before unveiling the monument on October 5, 1962.