The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities through its Department of the Museums and Monuments will join the rest of the world to celebrate the International Museum Day 2024 (IMD2024). This year’s celebration will be held in Soroti City, Eastern Uganda on 18th May, 2024 under the theme: "Museums shaping knowledge for the future" derived from the International Council of Museums (ICOM) international theme: "Museums for Education and Research."

This year’s theme aims to underscore the significance of museums as dynamic educational institutions fostering learning, discovery, and cultural understanding. And the focus will be on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 4: Quality Education – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Our national theme, "Museums shaping knowledge for the future" underscores the pivotal role museums play in transforming our society from a peasant economy to a modern one through critical thinking and innovation. This theme serves as a rallying call to raise awareness about the transformative power of museums in shaping the future trajectory of our nation.

Every 18th May is a unique moment internationally for the museum community. Since 1977, all museums in the world participate in this day to promote the role of museums around the world, by organizing enjoyable and free activities around the year’s theme. The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness on the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples”. Organized each year on and around 18th May, the events and activities planned to celebrate International Museum Day can last a day, a weekend or a whole week.

The International Museum Day (IMD) celebration in Soroti City will feature a diverse range of activities aimed at promoting cultural awareness, heritage preservation, and forward-thinking innovation.