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Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi

Uganda
Factors affecting the property in 2023*
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Other Threats:

    Fire

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Destruction by fire of the Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga
  • Ground transport infrastructure: Proposed widening of the Masiro Road
  • Management systems/management plan: lack of a Master Plan and a complete Management Plan with detailed disaster risk management plan and a tourism management plan
  • Management activities: Management structure (issue resolved)
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger

Fire that resulted in the destruction of part of the property

Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
Corrective Measures for the property
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2023

Total amount granted: 2011-2012: USD 68,365 from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for an Expert Appraisal Mission; 2013-2016 and 2019-2020: USD 650,000 from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the project: Technical and financial assistance for the reconstruction of Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga, an architectural masterpiece of the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi, Uganda, World Heritage property in Danger. 2017: 4,300 USD from the World Heritage Fund for ICOMOS advisory consultancy for the finalization of the elaboration of the Master Plan; 20 000 USD from Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) for on-site training in preventing disasters and risk, 75 000 USD from the World Heritage Fund for firefighting equipment, 30,000 from the Heritage Emergency Fund and 100 000 USD from the Norway Funds for preparation of Guidelines for the development of the Buffer zone aligned with the property’s Master plan.

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2023
Requests approved: 6 (from 1998-2023)
Total amount approved : 240,363 USD
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2023

On 1 February 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1022/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report as follows:

  • The reconstruction of the Mazibu Azaala Mpanga (main tomb) was progressing and, despite delays related to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was expected to be completed by July 2022;
  • The restoration of the Bujjabukala (gate house) was reaching finalisation;
  • A contract for the installation of fire-fighting equipment was established and the installation was to be completed by July 2022. The State Party worked closely with the UNESCO Regional Office in Nairobi on this issue;
  • The definition of the buffer zone guidelines through a stakeholder participation process was ongoing. Funds were being sought to resource this process, which, due to its size, had needed to be phased. Once completed, the city’s development plans would be realigned;
  • Photo annexes were provided depicting the ongoing reconstruction of the Mazibu Azaala Mpanga and the restoration of the Bujjabukala (gate house).

In response to Decision 44 COM 7A.4, an annex outlining the State Party’s progress in completing the corrective measures to achieve the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) was submitted. Apart from the reconstruction of the Mazibu Azaala Mpanga, important corrective measures that at the time had been completed included:

  • Research into Ghanda construction techniques and materials;
  • Completion and implementation of a masterplan;
  • Drafting of a Disaster Risk Management Plan.

The implementation of these measures had led to:

  • Training of artisans;
  • Conservation of key attributes;
  • Strengthening of the management system.

A UNESCO technical mission of an international team of four experts commissioned by the World Heritage Centre visited the property and its buffer zone in May 2023. This mission took place within the framework of a project aiming to support the State Party in developing guidelines for the buffer zone by promoting the application of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) to safeguard heritage in African contexts, developed by the World Heritage Centre in 2022 with financial support from the Government of Norway and using the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi as a case study. That team evaluating the buffer zone of the property will make recommendations on the extension of its boundaries and compile guidelines for the management of the buffer zone of the property following the principles of HUL. On 24 July 2023, a workshop was organized by the World Heritage Centre to represent the draft guidelines proposal to African experts for feedback and comments. More than 100 African experts, site managers and professionals participated in the workshop.

A Reactive Monitoring Mission to the property took place in June 2023 in response to Decision 44 COM 7A.4, which requested a mission to the property to review the current state of conservation and evaluate whether the conditions for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger have been met. The mission report is available online at the following web address: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1022/documents/.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2023

The State Party has made substantial progress towards achieving the DSOCR. It has closely collaborated with the UNESCO Regional Office in Nairobi, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies throughout, which has been of great benefit to completing many of the corrective measures adopted by the Committee at its 35th session (Decision 35 COM 7A.17). Key achievements include the restoration of the Bujjabukala and the completion of the reconstruction of the Mazibu Azaala Mpanga. It is most welcome that the firefighting system has been installed in the tombs area of the property, supported by the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation of the World Cultural Heritage and the World Heritage Fund. The State Party submitted the requested Disaster Risk Preparedness Management Plan (Decision 35 COM 7A.17) to the World Heritage Centre in July 2021. This was reviewed by ICOMOS, which made recommendations for its improvement.

The 2023 Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, assessed the extent of the completion of the implementation of all corrective measures and reviewed its state of conservation to evaluate whether the conditions for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger have been met.

The mission concluded that the corrective measures have been substantially completed to the extent that their implementation has achieved the Desired state of conservation for removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR). The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies advise the Committee that it would be appropriate to remove the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi from the List of World Heritage in Danger and they congratulate the State Party and all its partners for this significant achievement.

The mission appreciated the strong commitment and engagement of the Government’s national and local authorities, as well as the traditional management of the Buganda kingdom authorities, and the Kasubi local communities, as the custodians of sacred sites providing a model for the cooperation of government institutions and traditional ones for the management of World Heritage properties. Their dedication led not only to the reconstruction of the Mazibu Azaala Mpanga but also to the revival of traditional customs and practices associated with the requirements of rituals to sustain the aura and sacredness of the Tombs of Buganda Kingdom at Kasubi. Challenges remain and the State Party should be encouraged to continue its efforts to improve the state of conservation and management system of the property. The 2023 mission recommended, amongst others, that the State Party implement measures to ensure the long-term sustainable availability of human, financial, and material resources, specifically spear grass, for the long-term maintenance of the property. The State Party reported to the mission that it is updating the property's Management Plan. This should be seen as an opportunity to set out an appropriate management system, integrate an updated Disaster Risk Management component into the Management Plan, align it with the extent Master Plan and provide mechanisms to harmonize with the buffer zone guidelines currently under development. It also noted that tourism management should be a cornerstone of the new management plan and measures to define maximum carrying capacities need to be developed urgently. The mission recommended that the State Party translate the corrective measures defined for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger into management actions to be implemented continuously for the protection and management of the tangible and intangible attributes of the property.

It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to carefully consider the recommendations of the international team of four experts commissioned by the World Heritage Centre to develop guidelines for the development of the buffer zone, considering as well the boundary of the buffer zone, to submit these to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, and to realign the spatial planning regime of the city of Kampala once these have been adopted by the Committee.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2023
45 COM 7A.25
Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Uganda) (C 1022)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.2,
  2. Recalling Decisions 35 COM 7A.17 and 44 COM 7A.4 adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011) and extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021) respectively,
  3. Welcomes the completion of the reconstruction of the Mazibu Azaala Mpanga, the restoration of the Bujjabukala (gate house) and the close collaboration of the State Party with the World Heritage Centre, the UNESCO Regional Office in Nairobi and the Advisory Bodies;
  4. Commends the strong commitment and engagement of the Government’s national and local authorities, as well as the traditional management of the Buganda kingdom authorities, and the Kasubi local communities, as the custodians of sacred sites;
  5. Acknowledges the continued financial commitment of the Government of Japan, through the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation of the World Cultural Heritage, the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) and the World Heritage Fund to the installation of a firefighting system for the tombs area of the property;
  6. Also acknowledges the Government of Norway’s financing of the World Heritage Centre project aiming at developing the guidelines by promoting the application of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) to safeguard heritage in African contexts, which took this property as a case study, also welcomes the efforts made towards re-evaluating the buffer zone boundary alignment, defining development guidelines for the buffer zone and aligning local planning regulations with the safeguarding, maintenance and transmission of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and the requirements of its protection and management, and requests to the State Party to:
    1. Continue its efforts to establish an improved buffer zone alignment, complete guidelines for the buffer zone in collaboration with World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, guided by the approach of HUL, and submit these to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies,
    2. Submit the amended local planning regulations that accommodate the guidelines for the buffer zone to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
  7. Notes the conclusions and recommendations of the 2023 joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission and strongly encourages the State Party to implement these recommendations;
  8. Also encourages the State Party to proceed with updating the Management Plan for the property aligned with HUL including to:
    1. Update the Disaster Risk Management Plan into the existing Management Plan,
    2. Align the Management Plan with the existing Master Plan,
    3. Provide mechanisms to harmonize the Management Plan with the buffer zone guidelines currently under development,
    4. Include a tourism management component in the Management Plan based on a thorough understanding of the carrying capacity of the property,
    5. Translate the corrective measures defined for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSCOR) into management actions to be implemented continuously for the protection and management of the tangible and intangible attributes of the property;
  9. Also commends and congratulates the State Party, as well as the Buganda Kingdom and its partners for substantively completing the implementation of the corrective measures defined for achieving the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
  10. Decides to remove the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Uganda) from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
  11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.
45 COM 8C.3
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (Removed Properties)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC/23/45.COM/7A, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.3, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.4),
  2. Having examined the recommendations of the Advisory Bodies, decides to remove the following property from the List of World Heritage in Danger:
  • Uganda, Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Decision 45 COM 7A.25).
Draft Decision: 45 COM 7A.25

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.2,
  2. Recalling Decisions 35 COM 7A.17 and 44 COM 7A.4, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011) and extended 44th session (Fuzhou/Online, 2021) respectively,
  3. Welcomes the completion of the reconstruction of the Mazibu Azaala Mpanga, the restoration of the Bujjabukala (gate house) and the close collaboration of the State Party with the World Heritage Centre, the UNESCO Regional Office in Nairobi and the Advisory Bodies;
  4. Commends the strong commitment and engagement of the Government’s national and local authorities, as well as the traditional management of the Buganda kingdom authorities, and the Kasubi local communities, as the custodians of sacred sites;
  5. Acknowledges the continued financial commitment of the Government of Japan, through the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation of the World Cultural Heritage, the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) and the World Heritage Fund to the installation of a firefighting system for the tombs area of the property;
  6. Also acknowledges the Government of Norway’s financing of the World Heritage Centre project aiming at developing the guidelines by promoting the application of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) to safeguard heritage in African contexts, which took this property as a case study, also welcomes the efforts made towards re-evaluating the buffer zone boundary alignment, defining development guidelines for the buffer zone and aligning local planning regulations with the safeguarding, maintenance and transmission of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and the requirements of its protection and management, and requests to the State Party to:
    1. Continue its efforts to establish an improved buffer zone alignment, complete guidelines for the buffer zone in collaboration with World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, guided by the approach of HUL, and submit these to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies,
    2. Submit the amended local planning regulations that accommodate the guidelines for the buffer zone to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
  7. Notes the conclusions and recommendations of the 2023 joint UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission and strongly encourages the State Party to implement these recommendations;
  8. Also encourages the State Party to proceed with updating the Management Plan for the property aligned with HUL including to:
    1. Update the Disaster Risk Management Plan into the existing Management Plan,
    2. Align the Management Plan with the existing Master Plan,
    3. Provide mechanisms to harmonize the Management Plan with the buffer zone guidelines currently under development,
    4. Include a tourism management component in the Management Plan based on a thorough understanding of the carrying capacity of the property,
    5. Translate the corrective measures defined for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSCOR) into management actions to be implemented continuously for the protection and management of the tangible and intangible attributes of the property;
  9. Also commends and congratulates the State Party, as well as the Buganda Kingdom and its partners for substantively completing the implementation of the corrective measures defined for achieving the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR);
  10. Decides to remove the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Uganda) from the List of World Heritage in Danger;
  11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session;
Report year: 2023
Uganda
Date of Inscription: 2001
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (i)(iii)(iv)(vi)
Danger List (dates): 2010-2023
Documents examined by the Committee
Initialy proposed for examination in 2022
arrow_circle_right 45COM (2023)
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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