By BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI

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In the shadow of rehabilitation and revival of its century old rail network — and in the case of Kenya, having built a new standard gauge line and Tanzania currently building the same — Uganda has unveiled a railways museum.

Officially known as the Uganda Railway Museum, it is historically correct located at the country’s oldest railway station in Jinja on the Jinja-Iganga highway. It celebrates Uganda’s history as captured in the book titled Our Railways, Our History, published last year to recognise and celebrate the story of Uganda’s railways, explore its role in the lives of those who lived and worked along them, and their place in the country’s economic and political development.

Developed as a tourist attraction, the museum’s programme offers heritage theme nights, a permanent photography and artefacts exhibition, exploring walking tour on an old locomotive and passenger coach, screening of railways film recollections and stories and guided tours of the museum and station.

The museum, which was opened to the public on March 16, has a shop and cafeteria, and will be open to visitors from Tuesdays to Sundays, 11am-6pm. Ugandan citizens will pay Ush5,000 ($1.3) and children Ush2,000 ($0.5) as entrance fee. Non-citizens will pay $5 for adults and $3 for children. Part of the museum has been designed with young people in mind to support their learning and appreciation of Uganda’s history.

The project is a partnership between the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda and the Uganda Railways Corporation, with support from the European Union.

CCFU’s executive director, Barbra Babweteera Mutambi said the museum demonstrates the foundation’s commitment to safeguarding historical buildings, sites and monuments.

Daudi Migereko the chairperson of Uganda Tourism Board said opening of the museum in Jinja has added to the tourism circuit of Jinja.