Finding What You Need in Uganda's Archives

Abstract

Given the growing scholarly interest in Uganda, we thought it might be useful to provide an update on research conditions in the country and the state of some of the archives. Barrett-Gaines is a historian working on the history of the salt trade in the Great Lakes region while Khadiagala is a political scientist studying the adjudication of women's property rights within the courts of law in Uganda. Barrett-Gaines still resides in Uganda, while Khadiagala completed her research in August of 1997. In disclosing our discoveries, it is our hope that additional use of the resources by both Western and Ugandan scholars will spur interest in preserving Uganda's rich historical record.The first step toward obtaining research clearance is to request affiliation with a research institute or academic department within Uganda. There are several independent research institutions and several universities. The actual clearance process is relatively easy. For social scientists, two possibilities are Makerere Institute for Social Research (MISR) or the Center for Basic Research (CBR). Scholars intending to travel to Uganda should initiate contact with one of these organizations about four to six months prior to arrival to obtain the application forms. Addresses are supplied at the end of this paper.Actual research clearance is granted by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST). The application includes a lengthy (and often redundant) form, a brief research proposal, passport-size photographs, and proof of affiliation. On approval, the UNCST issues a small red book that serves as an identification card and a letter for presentation in each district specified in the research proposal.

Risk and labour in the archives: archival futures from Uganda

“…In Kabarole, for example, officials regarded the district archive as a ‘dumping ground’ too hazardous to examine due to the wasps’ nests that covered many of the files. A few inquisitive researchers were allowed into the archive in the attic of the decaying district building at their own peril (Barrett-Gaines and Khadiagala 2000: 459; Peterson 2013: s24).…”

“…When Kathryn Barrett-Gaines and Lynn Khadiagala described their work in the National Archives in the late 1990s, they emphasized their interactions with archival staff. ‘Investing time is important,’ they wrote, as was ‘being patient, cheerful, personable, polite, calm, and persistent’ (2000: 457–8). Nakanyike Musisi, who conducted research in the National Archives in the late 1980s, described how she began to see files only after spending multiple days of conversation with archivist Eugene Wani about her background and research interests 19 .…”

“…In Entebbe, as in the districts, incomplete catalogues compiled decades earlier offered clues about the extent of the collections but did not correspond to the location of specific files for archivists to retrieve. Archivists at the National Archives had only the list compiled by Patrick English of ‘A Series Secretariat’ files prior to the 1930s and another handwritten list of certain files from the 1950s (Barrett-Gaines and Khadiagala 2000; Howell 2001; Taylor et al . 2014).…”

“…For many, this involves the delicate work of anticipating how a visitor will read and use archival documents. Barrett-Gaines and Khadiagala observed, ‘For whatever reason, government officials will tend to define your needs very narrowly, thereby circumscribing the range of materials that they will make known to you’ (Barrett-Gaines and Khadiagala 2000: 458). This approach saved archivists from the under-compensated and potentially hazardous work of handling many files.…”