VP Alupo opens Soroti Regional Museum, urges youth to embrace cultural heritage

Uganda’s Vice President, Jessica Alupo, inaugurated the Soroti Regional Museum today, urging the younger generation to utilize cultural heritage sites as platforms to showcase their talents and skills.

The Soroti Regional Museum falls under the Department of Museums and Monuments within the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities in Uganda.

Located strategically in Soroti Town, the Soroti Museum is designed to narrate the rich traditions of the Iteso people.

The opening of the Soroti Museum coincided with the International Museum Day celebration held at the same venue.

This year’s International Museum Day is themed “Museums shaping knowledge for the future,”inspired by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) theme, “Museums for Education and Research.”

Mr. Tom Butime, the Tourism Minister, highlighted that this year’s theme aims to emphasize the critical role museums play as dynamic educational institutions that foster learning, discovery, and cultural appreciation.

He said, celebrating Museum Day in Soroti was intended to lay a strong foundation for the advancement of museums and monuments in urban areas.

Butime urged the private sector to collaborate with the Ministry to promote other sites like Kapir.

“This year’s focus is on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 4 – Quality Education, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, and Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation,” he said.

Butime stressed the pivotal role of museums in transitioning society from a traditional to a contemporary economy through critical thinking and innovation.

He emphasized that museums serve as a unifying force to raise awareness about their transformative influence on the nation’s future trajectory.

Furthermore, Butime underscored that museums are vital for cultural exchange, enriching cultures, and fostering mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace among diverse populations.

Vice President Jessica Alupo echoed the significance of museums for educational and research purposes, emphasizing their role in driving positive change and encouraging research initiatives.

She emphasized the government’s commitment to collaborating with the private sector to leverage the educational impact of museums.

Alupo encouraged the youth to leverage heritage sites to showcase their creations and announced the government’s plans to establish museums in all regions of the country to enhance students’ educational experiences.

His Royal Highness, the Emorimor of Iteso Cultural Union, Paul Sande Emolot, called for a revival of cultural ethics to uplift society.

He attributed the pervasive corruption in the nation to the deterioration of morals and appealed to all Iteso individuals in positions of authority to unite with the government in combating corruption and advancing development.