Today in History: Uganda’s Independence Monument Unveiled

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Uganda’s Independence Monument was unveiled in Kampala on October 8, 1962, one day before the country formally achieved independence from British rule. The ceremony was carried out by Kalule Settala, who was then Minister for Culture and Community Development, at a moment when Uganda was preparing to move from colonial administration to self-government.

According to the article, the six-metre concrete sculpture was commissioned by the British colonial administration and created by Gregory Maloba, a Kenyan sculptor associated with Makerere University’s Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts. The monument shows a mother figure breaking free from ropes while lifting a child upward, imagery meant to reflect liberation, hope and a new national beginning.

The monument is located on Speke Road in central Kampala and has become one of Uganda’s best-known landmarks. Nile Post notes that its unveiling was part of the celebrations leading to October 9, 1962, when Uganda officially became independent. The article also says the sculpture remains a prominent symbol in national imagery, currency and commemorative materials.

More broadly, independence monuments often serve as public reminders of a country’s political transition and national identity. In Uganda’s case, this site continues to mark the shift from British colonial rule to sovereignty and the symbolism attached to that change.