To display fossils and draw more visitors to the Karamoja sub-region, the Ugandan Ministry of Tourism is starting a huge effort to create an outdoor museum in Napak district. Before continuing their safari adventures to tour the remainder of Karamoja, visitors will be able to see these amazing discoveries at the proposed open-air museum, which would be situated in Iriiri Sub County.
After the finding of many teeth remnants of lower Miocene rodents and a femur bone fossil of a huge mammal identified as an anthracothere, thought to have lived about 20 million years ago, it was decided to build this museum. The expected cost of the project is 5 billion shillings, and the procurement process has already started.
The interim Assistant Commissioner of Museums and Monuments, Jacqueline Nyiracyiza Besigye, described how the museum will cover paleontology, archaeology, and other related disciplines. The main goals are to promote community participation in fossil preservation, create employment possibilities, and inspire youngsters to enroll in tourism-related courses.
As a means of fostering economic empowerment, Dennis Okori, the Napak Resident District Commissioner, reaffirmed the district’s intention to donate property for the museum. Okori underlined the significance of protecting fossil sites in order to draw tourists, foster employment prospects for the neighborhood, and advance scientific research.
The Napak District Tourism Officer, Joseph Yeko, emphasized the museum’s benefits for job development, particularly for young people, as well as its promotion of cultural pride and ability to draw funding for tourism attractions. Through the use of young people as local guides, the project hopes to decrease instances of cattle raids.
These discoveries, according to Sarah Musalizi, the Principal Conservator of Museums and Monuments, show that the region once had running rivers and wooded areas. In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, the open-air museum project is anticipated to elevate Napak district’s standing as one of the top 100 geological sites in the world, as determined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2022.
