Negotiations between the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and government agencies over the possible takeover of Nommo Gallery, Uganda’s national art gallery, are reportedly at an advanced stage, with the prime Nakasero property attracting renewed attention because of its proximity to the State House complex.
Nommo Gallery, located on Plot 4, Victoria Avenue, Nakasero, sits next to the State Lodge and within a highly secured area that accommodates several presidential and State House facilities. The location has increasingly placed the gallery at the centre of discussions over government land use and security.
The gallery is operated under the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC), a statutory institution responsible for promoting and preserving Uganda’s cultural heritage. Nommo Gallery is recognised as Uganda’s National Art Gallery and hosts exhibitions featuring works by Ugandan and international artists.
Professor Okaka Opio, chairman of the Uganda National Cultural Centre board, confirmed that discussions over the property have been taking place, saying the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is aware of the developments.
According to Prof Opio, the process is awaiting a comprehensive valuation of the property by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development before any decision on compensation or acquisition can be reached.
The valuation is expected to establish the market value of the land and developments on it, a critical step in any government acquisition of public property.
Denis Obbo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, confirmed that the ministry was handling matters relating to the property but said the valuation process was dependent on the availability of resources.
The potential takeover has raised questions about the future of one of Uganda’s most important institutions for visual arts, particularly because Nommo Gallery is not simply a commercial property but part of the country’s cultural infrastructure.
A gallery with a long history
Contrary to some accounts that describe the present building as dating from the 1940s or 1950s, available historical records indicate that Nommo Gallery was established in 1964, following the Uganda National Cultural Centre Act of 1959. The gallery was initially located on Kampala Road before moving to its present home on Plot 4, Victoria Avenue, Nakasero, in 1968.
The present premises have a deeper connection to the State House complex, however. Historical accounts indicate that the building was originally an annex or guest wing associated with the Nakasero State House and was subsequently given to visual artists for use as a gallery.
That history makes the current discussions particularly significant: the government would potentially be seeking to reclaim or consolidate property that has served as a national centre for visual arts for decades.
Nommo Gallery has played a role in nurturing artists, hosting exhibitions, preserving artworks and providing a platform for Uganda’s visual arts sector. Its mandate includes developing creative talent, building a national collection of Ugandan art, involving children and young people in creative activities and supporting cultural industries and tourism.
The gallery has also survived periods of political upheaval. During the Idi Amin era, many artists left the country and the institution went through difficult years before efforts were made to revive its activities.
Security versus cultural heritage
If the government ultimately acquires the property for security or administrative purposes, the move would not be without precedent.
Government has previously acquired or sought control of properties located close to sensitive presidential and military installations. The strategic importance of land surrounding State House and other security installations has repeatedly shaped decisions about neighbouring properties.
Nommo Gallery itself has been described as occupying an unusually secure location in the heart of Kampala, immediately next to State Lodge.
But the proposed takeover presents a difficult policy question: whether the security and administrative value of the land outweighs its cultural importance.
The property is also valuable in purely economic terms. Government documents have previously described the Nommo Gallery site on Victoria Avenue as approximately 0.822 hectares of prime Kampala property. A government project profile prepared for the Uganda National Cultural Centre described the Victoria Avenue property as underutilised and identified redevelopment as a potential source of revenue for the institution.
The land itself is not simply private artists’ property. Available land records cited in earlier investigations indicate that ownership of Plot 4 was transferred to the Trustees of the Uganda National Cultural Centre, making the question one of how one arm of government would acquire or reassign property held by another public institution. (
Artists fear losing their historic home
Artists who spoke to HillPost on condition of anonymity expressed concern over the possible takeover.
They argued that if government proceeds with the acquisition, it should ensure that the value of the land, buildings and cultural significance of the institution are properly assessed before any compensation or relocation arrangement is made.
One artist said the current location presents challenges for some young artists because of the security-sensitive environment surrounding State House.
“Artists need a space where clients, students and the public can freely interact with them,” the artist said, arguing that a modern national visual arts centre could provide better opportunities for emerging artists.
However, relocating Nommo Gallery would also carry risks. The gallery’s Nakasero location has become part of its identity and history, and any replacement facility would need to preserve its national collection, exhibition function and role as a meeting point for Uganda’s visual arts community.
What happens next?
The immediate issue is valuation.
Until the Ministry of Lands completes its assessment and the responsible government authorities make a formal decision, the reported takeover remains a proposal rather than a concluded acquisition.
If government proceeds, several questions will need to be answered: how much the property is worth, which public institution will ultimately control it, where Nommo Gallery would be relocated, how its national art collection would be protected and whether artists would retain meaningful access to a national exhibition space.
The decision could therefore become more than a dispute over a prime piece of land in Nakasero. It could test how Uganda balances the competing demands of presidential security, public property management and the preservation of cultural heritage.
For a gallery that has occupied its present Nakasero site for nearly six decades, any change in ownership or use would mark a significant chapter in the history of Uganda’s visual arts.
