MBALE — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has proposed that the Bugisu Anthem be considered as a possible anthem for the proposed East African Federation, citing its lyrics and melody as expressions of the cultural heritage of the Bugisu people.
Museveni proposed this on Sunday, September 27, while presiding over Uganda’s national World Tourism Day celebrations at Mbale Secondary School grounds in Mbale City.
The celebrations were held under the theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” and brought together government officials, tourism sector players, cultural leaders and residents from the Elgon region.
During his remarks, Museveni praised the Bugisu Anthem and suggested that it could have a role in the cultural expression of a future East African political federation.
The proposal comes against the background of the East African Community’s stated long-term objective of establishing a political federation of the Partner States. The EAC describes political federation as the ultimate stage of its integration process, following the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union.
The EAC already has an official anthem, which was adopted by the Summit of Heads of State in December 2010. The anthem is in Kiswahili and is used at official regional occasions.
Museveni’s proposal therefore concerns a possible anthem for the proposed federation, rather than a change to the existing EAC anthem.
The President was speaking during celebrations that placed cultural heritage alongside tourism development and emerging technology.
He also urged Ugandans to take advantage of tourism as a source of household income, particularly through services and enterprises connected to tourism.
Museveni said Uganda should protect forests and wetlands because the country’s natural environment forms part of its tourism attraction. He also called for improved roads, electricity, water and communication infrastructure connecting tourism sites in the Elgon region and elsewhere.
The President also commissioned the Mbale Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, commonly known as Mbale Zoo, which Uganda Wildlife Authority established to promote wildlife conservation education and tourism in the Elgon sub-region.
Tourism Minister Col. (Rtd) Tom Butime said Uganda is increasingly using digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence to promote tourism, including digital booking platforms, smart park gates and AI-supported tourism planning.
The World Tourism Day celebrations were part of a month-long programme hosted in Mbale City and the wider Elgon region to showcase the area’s natural, cultural and tourism attractions.
The Bugisu proposal adds a cultural dimension to the discussions about East African integration, placing a regional cultural symbol at the centre of Museveni’s reflections on the future federation.
