President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced plans to meet with cultural leaders in September 2024 to further promote Uganda’s rich cultural diversity.

The scheduled meeting also aimed to strengthen collaboration between the government and cultural institutions, recognizing the significant role that cultural leaders play in promoting national unity and development.

He announced this on August 5, 2024, while meeting a group of cultural leaders in Africa led by Umukuka III of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution, His Highness, Jude Mike Mudoma, at State House, Entebbe.

His Imperial Majesty King Dr. Suanu Timothy Yormaadam Baridam of the Ogoni Traditional Area in Nigeria, together with His Majesty King Amenya Fitiv, President of the Forum of Kings, Sultans, and Traditional Leaders of Africa, and Paramount Chief of AFLAO, Ghana, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the President implored the cultural leaders to sensitize their subjects to create wealth and uplift their livelihoods.

“Our starting point is a question. Do you want prosperity in Africa or not? If you say you do, then the question is: how will it be achieved? Can it be achieved by begging Europeans? If begging were the solution, Africa would be rich by now because they have been begging for almost 70 years. Begging has not worked, which is why you see crisis everywhere in Africa, which means that the issue of prosperity is yet to be addressed,” he said.

President Museveni emphasized the importance of cultural heritage in fostering a sense of identity and belonging among Ugandans.

This initiative reflects the government’s ongoing efforts to engage with cultural institutions and leaders to address social and economic challenges within communities.