Gov't Advances UNESCO World Heritage Nominations for Kibiro Salt Village and Lake Victoria Rock Art

Uganda is intensifying its efforts to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for two culturally significant sites: the Kibiro Salt Producing Village and the Geometric Rock Art of the Lake Victoria Region.

A workshop held in Entebbe this week brought together experts and stakeholders from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to review, refine and advance the nomination dossiers for these sites.

The Kibiro Salt Producing Village holds a unique salt extraction tradition that has been practiced for over 800 years.

This intricate process, exclusively carried out by women, involves leaching saline soil and boiling the brine to produce ash salt, a method passed down through generations.

The village's archaeological significance is underscored by layers of pottery shards dating back centuries.

Part of Kibiro salt village. Photo Courtesy 

Spanning across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, the Geometric Rock Art sites in the Lake Victoria Region offer a window into the spiritual and cultural lives of ancient communities.

These sites, adorned with red geometric motifs painted by Pygmy hunter-gatherers between 1,000 and 5,000 years ago, are believed to hold spiritual significance related to fertility and community rituals.

A painting on one of the geometric rocks. Photo: courtesy

The transnational nomination of these sites aims to address the underrepresentation of East African rock art on the World Heritage List.

State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, Martin Mugarra, emphasized the collective commitment of the three nations to safeguard and promote their shared cultural and natural heritage.

He highlighted that both sites are already on the UNESCO Tentative List and that the draft nomination dossiers have been prepared.

He stated, "Your presence here today signifies the collective commitment we share towards safeguarding and promoting Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda’s cultural and natural heritage."

Minister of State for Tourism - Hon. Martin Mugarra 

"The Government of Uganda enacted the Museums and Monuments Act Cap 149 to protect heritage sites, including Kibiro and the geometric rock art sites. This legislation includes regulations that have gazetted 300 heritage sites" he added.

He also noted; "the Government of Uganda, which started this inscription a few years ago, remains committed to addressing the concerns raised by the World Heritage Committee on this effort to inscribe the geometric rock art on the World Heritage List."

"This heritage represents the rich pre historic art of geometric rock art in the Lake Victoria basin of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania that our past ancestors left for us as a legacy. These inscriptions, if successful, will contribute to meeting the target of the global strategy, which Africa has been pushing for more than a decade.

Uganda has three World Heritage sites: two natural sites and one cultural site. The natural sites are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, designated in 1994, and Rwenzori Mountains National Park, also designated in 1994. The cultural site is the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi, recognized in 2001.

Geoffrey Sseremba, the under secretary in the ministry of tourism, wildlife and antiquities noted that the Government is actively collaborating with traditional custodians and the international community to address challenges faced by the Tombs of Buganda.

Geofrey Sseremba, Under secretary, Ministry of tourism, wildlife and antiquities 

He also commented on the meeting's agenda saying that;

"We need to collaborate on strategies and tools for preserving and promoting rock art heritage in East Africa, while also considering the existing national heritage laws in each country. Without this cooperative effort among Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, we risk losing an opportunity to ensure that Africa’s geometric art is recognized on the World Heritage List."

Jackline Nyiracyiza, Acting Commissioner for Museums and Monuments, noted the importance of identifying attributes that meet the Outstanding Universal Value criteria set by UNESCO.

Jackline Nyirachiza, Ag Commissioner Museums and Monuments 

She explained that the technical team evaluates cultural, educational, tourism, scientific, and cultural values to ensure the site's uniqueness and significance.

Rim Kelouaze an expert from the African World Heritage Fund, acknowledged the progress made in the nomination process, stating,

"The quality of the nominations is really high; however, it always needs improvements so that it is robust enough to go through the scrutiny of the advisory bodies." 

Rim Kelouaze, World Heritage expert

She emphasized the importance of thorough preparation to address potential issues before submission.

The three nations seek to preserve and promote this shared heritage, ensuring its recognition and protection for future generations.