By Anan Prisca
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) showcased its transformation at the annual International Museum Day (IMD) at Kabale Main Stadium last weekend, themed “Preserving Heritage, Transforming Communities.”
Exhibits included old calculators, typewriters, analogue seals, phones, a cash box, and revenue cashbooks, illustrating URA’s journey to digitization.
Established in 2018, the URA museum preserves Uganda’s taxation history.
John Mugagga Kakinda, Kabale Domestic Taxes Head, thanked the organizers for bringing IMD to Kigezi.
“Since 1992, URA’s revenue collections have grown exponentially. This day prompts reflection on the past and it’s essential to know where you come from to determine where you’re headed,” he said.
Mugagga highlighted that innovations and stakeholder engagements have improved services and showcased URA’s transformative story.
Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka, representing the Deputy Speaker and State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, urged museums to embrace technology to stay relevant.
He emphasized that museums can boost local livelihoods through jobs, education, and urban growth.
Geoffrey Seremba, the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Tourism, noted that Kigezi is the third region after Hoima and Soroti to host IMD, citing its rich heritage and wildlife tourism from its incredible mountain gorilla tracking tourism sites of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park.
In addition to URA, other exhibitors included the Bank of Uganda museum, the Parliament of Uganda museum, the Uganda Police museum, the Uganda Broadcast Corporation (UBC) museum, the Semei Kakungulu museum, the Uganda Railways museum and several other community museums.
The event ended with the opening of the Kabale Regional Museum and other cultural exhibitions.
