The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) through the Department of Museums and Monuments has registered another successful repatriation of cultural relics – Karamojong artefacts that have been kept in Kenya for decades.
Having been collected and taken to Kenya during the colonial period by the late John Wilson, a British national who worked in Uganda’s Karamoja region as an Agricultural Officer, these artefacts have returned home.
This repatriation follows another round in which Uganda brought back 39 cultural relics in June 2024 that had been kept in Cambridge University’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for over a century. The 39 items had been dubiously collected by colonial officers from various regions across Uganda’s then booming Kingdoms including among others; Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole and Lango.
The Karamojong artefacts comprise of traditional regalia, tools, ornaments, and other cultural items which the Late Wilson, in his final instructions, asked that be one day be returned to the Karamojong communities in Uganda.
According to the Ag. Commissioner Museums and Monuments Ms. Jackline Nyiracyiza Besigye, this wish was upheld and implemented by Wilson’s wife, Mrs. Anne Wilson and their son, who had the artefacts preserved at their family home in Kiambu, Nairobi – Kenya.
“The artefacts are fully under the care of MTWA’s Department of Museums and Monuments safely transferred and stored at the Soroti Regional Museum. They will undergo additional conservation and condition assessment before being opened for public view,” Besigye said while commenting on the historic milestone.
She added, “This marks a historic achievement in the ongoing efforts to recover and restore Uganda’s cultural heritage and identity. The return of Karamojong cultural artefacts is a major milestone in Uganda’s heritage preservation and restoration journey.”
Besigye noted that the items hold deep historical, cultural, and symbolic value for the Karamojong people, whose heritage has been in many cases “dispersed.”
She revealed that the artefacts will be transferred to the Uganda National Museum in Kampala as they await official hand over to the State by the family of late John Wilson.
The items will in future be relocated to the under construction Karamoja Regional Museum in Moroto District.
It should be noted that before the artefact’s repatriation, experts from the Tourism Ministry travelled to Kiambu, Kenya to assess and document them, working closely with the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) to carefully conserve, catalogue, and pack in accordance with professional museum standards.
The Ministry also initiated the formal processes to obtain the necessary export permits from Kenyan authorities in line with international cultural property laws.
“This repatriation not only fulfills the wishes of the Wilson family but also sets a positive precedent for ethical cultural restitution, cross-border cooperation, and mutual respect for African heritage. It aligns with the African Union’s call for the return of looted and displaced cultural assets and supports broader efforts to decolonize museum and cultural narratives across the continent,” the Ministry noted in their statement on the repatriation.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to safeguarding Uganda’s diverse cultural heritage and commended the Wilson family for their stewardship and moral commitment, National Museums of Kenya for their collaboration and safe storage and all other stakeholders who played a role in making this repatriation possible.