By Arinda Nsheeka Wilfred
In order to promote tourism in Uganda and Ankole in particular, The Government of Uganda through its Ministry of tourism, Wildlife and antiquities has embarked on renovation and rehabilitation of former palace of Ankole Kingdom in Kamukuzi Division in Mbarara municipality, Mbarara district.
While officially launching this activity that will cost the Government 10 billion Ugandan shillings, the state minister for tourism, Wild life and antiquities Godfrey Kiwanda revealed that this activity will be executed in three phases and that will start with the reconstruction of the fence in order to bring out the historical face of the palace and the first phase is going to cost shs1.7 billion.
Kiwanda added that all this is being done in order to promote tourism.
Eng Kibirige Nasser the one in charge of construction of Museum and monuments in Tourism Ministry added that they are going to bring back the historical background of Ankole Kingdom in order to attract tourists.
He revealed that they are going to restore its original architecture.
However in this palace people had resorted to occupy the historical buildings , two telecom masts have been put up in the same area and excavation of Marram by unknown people has been taking place.
When our reporter pressed the Mbarara district chief executive officer Felix Cuthbert Esoku on this matter, he revealed that the district junior staff are the ones occupying the place and they have been ordered to vacate by December, however he could not trace who permitted those that are extracting marram from there and those that build up the masts saying that even the district has not been earning the revenue from them.
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