President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called upon cultural leaders to play a stronger role in addressing issues surrounding marriage, responsible family life and the preservation of Uganda’s cultural heritage.
The President encouraged communities to reflect on traditional approaches to marriage, noting that established cultural practices provided clear structures for families and contributed to maintaining social order.
President Museveni also raised concern about HIV prevalence in some parts of Uganda, including Western Uganda. He pointed to Karamoja’s strong cultural practices around marriage as an example worth studying when examining social behaviour and community structures related to family life.
Beyond marriage and family, the President emphasised the importance of protecting Uganda’s languages, cultural practices, indigenous knowledge and traditional science. He warned that valuable local knowledge could disappear if deliberate efforts are not made to document, preserve and pass it on to future generations.
President Museveni cited the preservation of Ankole long-horned cattle as an example of safeguarding indigenous resources. He recalled his efforts to maintain the breed despite earlier advice favouring modern alternatives and also referred to having sold some of the cattle to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The President called for greater attention to Uganda’s indigenous science, traditional crafts, cultural practices and heritage, describing them as important elements of national identity that should be protected for future generations.