Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga
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Mission report on the destruction by fire of Muzibu‐Azaala‐Mpanga Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi A World Heritage property of Uganda April 2010 1911 2009 16 March 2010 2012 ? Mission undertaken by : Lazare Eloundou, Chief of the Africa unit, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris Sébastien Moriset, CRAterre‐ENSAG, Grenoble, France Fumiko Ohinata, Programme specialist for Culture, UNESCO Nairobi office, Kenya Donatius M.K. Kamamba, Advisor to African World Heritage Fund, Tanzania April 2010 UGA020 2 Mission report on the destruction by fire of Muzibu‐Azaala‐Mpanga Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi A World Heritage property of Uganda This document is the result of the UNESCO mission undertaken in Kampala from 7th to 9th April 2010, which involved the following experts : ‐ Mr Lazare Eloundou (Head of the mission), Chief of Africa Unit, World Heritage Centre; ‐ Mrs Fumiko Ohinata, Programme Specialist for Culture at UNESCO Nairobi Office; ‐ Mr Sebastien Moriset, CRAterre, National Superior School of Architecture of Grenoble (France); ‐ Mr Donatius Kamamba, Director of Antiquities of Tanzania and Advisor to the African World Heritage Fund. It was prepared by Sébastien Moriset, CRAterre‐ENSAG With inputs by Lazare Eloundou, Fumiko Ohinata, and Donatius M.K. Kamamba For more information, contact : UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE Lazare Eloundou, Chief of Africa Unit 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP FRANCE Tel: +33 (0)145 681 938 email : l.eloundou‐[email protected] UNESCO Nairobi Office Fumiko Ohinata, Programme Specialist for Culture P.O.Box 30592, 00100 GPO ‐ UN Gigiri Complex block C ‐ Nairobi, Kenya Telephone +254 (0)20 762 2655 email : [email protected] Uganda Museums Rose Nkaale Mwanja, Ag. Commissioner Department of Museums and monuments, Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry P.O. Box 5718, Kampala, Uganda Telephone +256 (0)41 232707 email : [email protected] CRAterre‐ENSAG Sébastien Moriset International centre for earth construction, National Superior School of Architecture of Grenoble BP 2636 38036 GRENOBLE Cedex 2 FRANCE Telephone.: 33 (0) 4 76 69 83 35 email: [email protected] Donatius M.K. Kamamba Director of the Department of Antiquities and Museums, Tanzania Advisor to the African World Heritage Fund email: [email protected] Tel: +255 (0)22 2116554 Photo credit: All photos in the document by Sébastien Moriset, except where otherwise indicated 3 Acknowledgements We wish to thank all those who have contributed to the organisation of the activities carried out: UNESCO The Director General, Irina Bokova, who reacted promptly and mobilised resources for organising the mission The Government of Uganda Hon. Gabril Opio, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Hon. Kirunda Kivejinja, Third Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Internal Affairs Hon. Geraldine Bitamazire, Minister of Education and Sports Hon. Khiddu Makubuya, Minister of Justice, Constitutional Affairs & Attorney General Hon. Nakadama Isanga Rukia, Minister of State for Gender and Cultural Affairs H.E. Elizabeth Paula Napeyok, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uganda to France, Deputy Permanent Delegate of Uganda to UNESCO Christine Guwatudde Kintu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Kale Kayihura, Inspector General of Police Naumo Juliana Akoryo K, Commissioner Culture & Family Affairs, Ministry of Gender Labour & Social Development Augustine Omare‐Okurut, Secretary General of Uganda National Commission to UNESCO Simon Peter Musoke, Chief Fire Safety Officer, Uganda Fire Brigade Headquarters Tumutoijere Gabriel Edie, Personal Assistant to Hon. Gabriel Opio Pamela Batenga, Principal Culture Officer, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Jane Mpagi, Director, Gender and Community Development, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Nancy Rukundo, officer from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Agoi Rosie, Deputy Secretary General, Uganda National Commission for UNESCO The Buganda Kingdom Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Kimera Mutebi II Oweek. Amb. Emmanuel L Ssendaula, First Deputy Katikkiro/admin. and Minister for Buganda Affairs abroad Owekitiibwa Engineer John Baptist Walusimbi, Katiikiro (Prime Minister) of Buganda Owekitiibwa Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, Minister for Tourism Owekitiibwa Tonny Kiyimba Kaggwa, Minister of Lands and Public buildings Hajji Kaddu Sserunkuuma, Speaker, Buganda Lukiiko/ Parliament The head of the Royals in the Buganda Kingdom Prince Jamil K. Wasajja James, Kabaka Foundation Architect Jonhatan Nsubuga Architect Joel K. Kateregga Architect E.T. Kiyimba Kamba Ssalongo Mulumba, Katiikiro of the Kasubi Tombs Christopher Kawoya, Senior thatcher, Ngeye clan, Kasubi Royal Tombs The custodians of the Kasubi Tombs site The technical and administrative staff of the Kasubi Tombs site Stephen Mpanga, Kasubi Royal Tombs The Department of Museums and Monuments, who supervised and administered the project Rose Nkaale Mwanja, Ag. Commissioner, Department of Museums and monuments Nelson Abiti, conservator, Department of Museums and Monuments Remigious Kigongo, assistant conservator, Department of Museums and Monuments Linda Neruba, assistant conservator, Department of Museums and Monuments Sarah Musalizi, Conservator, Museums and Monuments Department African World Heritage Fund Themba Wakashe, Chairperson of African World Heritage Fund Board of Trustees Webber Ndoro, Director of African World Heritage Fund Other institutions Theophane Nikyema, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP representative to Uganda Joanita Nkonge, UNESCO Paris John Makombo, Ugandan Wildlife Authority The journalists worldwide, for the quality of the press and other media coverage on the Kasubi fire, and for their interest in the reconstruction of the Muzibu‐Azaala‐Mpanga. 4 Contents 1. Background information 1.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2. The World Heritage site ................................................................................................................. 7 1.3. Living heritage of Kasubi Tombs ................................................................................................ 9 th 1.4. 16 March Fire .................................................................................................................................. 11 1.5. Assessment of museum objects .............................................................................................. 12 2. Mission results 2.1. Mission activities ............................................................................................................................. 13 2.2. Assessment of the situation ...................................................................................................... 19 2.3. Conclusions and recommendations ...................................................................................... 21 2.3.1. General conclusions ........................................................................................................ 21 2.3.2. Recommendations on world heritage ................................................................... 22 2.3.3. Recommendations on the reconstruction .......................................................... 23 2.3.4. Recommendations on the intangible heritage ................................................. 25 2.3.5. Recommendations on the management ............................................................. 26 2.3.6. Recommendations on site presentation .............................................................. 27 2.3.7. Recommendations on fire preparedness ............................................................ 28 2.4. Proposed short term action plan ............................................................................................ 29 3. Appendixes 3.1. Decision taken by the World Heritage Committee at its 25th Session, Helsinki, Finland, December 2001 ..................................... 30 3.2. List of people met .......................................................................................... 31 3.3. Mission programme ..................................................................................... 33 3.4. Letter from Hon. Charles Bakkabulindi, Minister of State for Education and Sports ................................................................................... 34 3.5. Letter from Mrs Irina Bokova, Director‐General of UNESCO . 35 3.6. UNESCO recommendations ...................................................................... 37 3.7. Press release and selected newspaper articles ............................. 38 3.8. Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 48 3.9. Object identification checklist ................................................................. 49 3.10. Archive photographs and drawings ................................................... 50 5 1. Background information 1.1. Introduction From 7 to 9 April 2010, UNESCO undertook a mission to Kampala (Uganda) following a letter of the Government of Uganda to the Director General of UNESCO1. In this letter, dated 18 March 2010, the Government informed UNESCO about the fire that on 16 March 2010 had devastated the Muzibu‐ Azaala‐Mpanga building, a major component of the World Heritage property: Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi. The letter also requested UNESCO’s