Restricted Technical Report PP/1 977-78/5.1.5

UGANDA Operational activities in the field of information

Development of the national archives and the national documentation centre

ARCHlVfs PCl

by J . M . Akita

Serial No. FMR/BEP/PGI/79/105

I fl I

I

Paris, 1979

U G A N B A

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND THE NATIONAL DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

by J. M . Akita

Report prepared far the Government of Uganda by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( Unesco )

U N E S C O -

Technical Report PP/1977-78/5". 1.5 FîTR/BE?/~Gl/79/l05(Akita ) 28 February 1979

© Unesco 1979 Printed in France

Table of Contents

Page

INTRODUCTION

Part I - The National Archives

Administrative History of Uganda I858-I978 1 The Structure of the National Archives 5

History of the National Archives 5 Existing staff 4 The Repository it-Legislation 5 Search room 5 Records management 5 Technical services 5 Training 5

Visits to Departments, Ministries, and other archival establishments in Kampala 5 Visit to Jinja, the provincial headquarters of the Busoga Province 5 Visit to the Ministry of Justice Archives - the Archives of the

High Court of Uganda and the Ministry of Education 5 Visit to the Archives Wing of the Africana Section of Makerere

University Library, Kampala 6 Visit to the Archives of the Roman Catholic Rubaga Archdiocese

Cathedral of Kampala 6 Recommendations - short-term 7

Staff and training 7 In-service training and training at the Regional Training Centre for Archivists 7

Unesco travel grants 8 Legislation 8 Records management 8 Cut-off date 9 Transfer of the Headquarters of the National Archives of Uganda

from Entebbe to Kampala 9 Arrangement and description of records 9 Site 9 Follow-up mission of two to three weeks' duration for Unesco

consultant 9 High Court records 9 The Archives Branch of Africana Section of Makerere University Library 9

The Archives of the Roman Catholic Rubaga Archdiocese Cathedral of Kampal 10

Recommendations - long-term 10 Building 10 Laboratories 10 Migrated Archives 10 External assistance for training 10 Opening of Provincial Records Centres 10 Oral history (traditions) 10 Staff structure 11

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Part II - The National Documentation Centre

Page

Structure 11 History 11 Libraries 12

Recommendations - short-term 12 Legislation 12 Appointment of Working Committee 12 Accommodation 13 The National Documentation Centre 13 Staff 13 Training 13

Recommendations - long-term 14 Permanent accommodation 14

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 14

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 17

APPENDICES : 1. Mr. Akita's consultancy mission for the development of the

national documentation and archives servioes in Uganda under Unesco's Participation Programme for I977/1978 l8

2. List of ministries in Uganda 20

3. Provinces of Uganda 24

4. Outline of Public Archives Decree for National Archives of Uganda 25

5. Model for a draft Presidential Circular on the care and disposal of public records 27

6. Questionnaire on the survey of records 30

7« -Model-forms:

(i) Review of records 31 (ii) Disposal schedule (Form A) 32 (iii) Disposal schedule (Form B) 33 (iv) Disposal schedule (Form C) 34 (v) Transfer schedule (Form D) 35 (vi) Record of public archives destroyed 36 (vii) Class list of record groups 37 (viii) Application form for searcher's ticket 38 (iv) Searcher's ticket 39 (x) An undertaking 40 (xi) Application for a document 4l (xii) Tracer slip (xiii) Shelf ticket 42 (xiv) Certificate of authentication 43 (xv) Room list 44

8. Staff structure of the National Archives 45

9. Deposit Library and Documentation Centre Act 1969 46

10. List of Departmental and Special Libraries 48

11. Staff structure of National Documentation Centre 49

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INTRODUCTION

1. In response to the request of the Government of Uganda (Request No. 6674 under Unesco's Participation Programme for 1977-1978, I carried out a one-month consultancy mission to Uganda from 23 June to 22 July 1978. Under the terms of reference of my contract, I was required, in close consultation with the authorities in Uganda, to:

i) study the present situation of the National Archives, giving particular attention to the structure of the various services and the legislation and regulations now in force;

ii) prepare short and long-range plans for the development of the services including recommendations for developing and directing, in close cooperation with the staff of the National Archives, the training of personnel, particu­larly in the area of records management; and to

iii) submit within one month of the end of the assignment, a report to Unesco, including a summary of recommendations to be implemented to ensure continued development of the archival and records management services.

2. However, on my arrival in Uganda on 23 June, 1978, the authorities of Uganda added another item to my terms of reference, viz: to advise on the estab­lishment of a National Documentation Centre. I propose, therefore, to submit my report in two parts - the first part dealing with my terms of reference in the contract document, and the second dealing with the special request made by the authorities of Uganda.

3. My programme of work, as revised after my arrival in Uganda, is shown in Appendix 1.

PART I - THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Administrative History of Uganda; 1858-1978

4. To underscore the significance of the National Archives of Uganda now located in Entebbe and their potential use for historical research, I need to give a brief administrative history of Uganda, starting from the arrival of European travellers about the middle of the 19th century, of Anglican mission­aries in 1877, and of Catholic missionaries in 1879, the formation of the British Imperial East Africa Company in 1888 which was chartered to trade with Uganda, and terminating with the declaration of Uganda as a Protectorate on 19 June, 1894, that brought to an end the trading activities of the British Imperial East Africa Company.

5. The first British Commissioner for Uganda, Gordon Portal, was appointed in 1893, and it was through his instrumentality that Uganda was declared a Protectorate. He concluded a number of agreements with the Kabaka of Buganda and the Rulers of Toro in 19OO and with Ankole in 19OI. In 1933, the then Governor signed an agreement with the Ruler of Bunyoro. Prom the time of the declaration of the Protectorate to 1905, responsibility for the administration of Uganda rested with the Foreign Office, but later in that year the Colonial Office assumed direct control, and appointed its first Governor. It was not

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until 29 June, 1920, that an Executive Council and a Legislative Council were established in Uganda. The members were the Governor, four Government officials, and two unofficial members - all of whom were Europeans.

6. By I945, however, the membership of the Legislative Council had risen to 28, including 14 Africans, and 7 Asians.

7« There was yet another change in 1956. For the first time a ministerial system of government was introduced and the membership of the Legislative Council rose to 60, including 30 Representative members. But in 1958 all the Representative Members were returned to the Legislative Council through the ballot box.

8. A general political awakening in the country began Just about this time. A general election was then held in March I96I to elect 82 representatives by universal adult suffrage.

9. The stage was the set for the final move towards complete independence. In 1961 a constitutional, conference was held in London and the future Consti­tution of Uganda was agreed upon. By the Constitutional Instruments of 1962, Uganda was oreated a Federal State consisting of 4 Kingdoms, 1 Territory, and 10 Districts. On 1 March, 1962, Self Government was inaugurated and the Chief Minister became Prime Minister and President of the Cabinet. Besides, the Legis­lative Council became the National Assembly and ex-officlo members ceased to be members of the National Assembly. But the Assembly was dissolved on 10 March, 1962 and General Elections took place on 25 April, 1962, to usher in Indepen­dence. On 9 October, 1962, Uganda became independent with the Queen represented by a Governor General. However, on 26 September, 1963, the National Assembly «mended the I962 Constitution and declared Uganda a sovereign state with a Constitutional President as Head of State.

10. Later, on 8 September, I967, a Republican Constitution, which abolished the Federal States and the monarchy, was introduced and Uganda became a Unitary Republic. Then on 25 January 1971, there was a change of government and the administration was taken over by His Excellency Al-Haji Field Marshall Dr Idi Amin Dada, who now holds the post of Life President, Head of State and Governor and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

11. As of 1 July 1978, there are 23 Ministries consisting of a number of Departments and Parastatal Bodies. These are shown in Appendix 2. Under the Ministry of Provincial Administrations there are 10 Provinces with 40 District offices. These are listed in Appendix 3« At the time of Independence there were 4 Provinces, namely, Eastern Buganda, Northern, and Western, together with l8 District offices. Besides, there were 4 Kingdoms - Buganda, Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro, and 1 Busoga Territory.

12. My purpose in giving this brief account of the administrative history of Uganda is to show that there is a variety of records of the Administration, the Executive and Legislative bodies which should be retired immediately so that they are not lost to posterity.

13. For example, part of the records of the Executive and Legislative Councils from I92I to I958 are being preserved in Entebbe, while the post-1958 records are still being held by the office of the President in Kampala. The Chief Secretary's records from 1905 to 1962 as well as the earlier records going back to I893 had been deposited in the National Archives of Uganda in Entebbe. But

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The subsequent administrative records that came into being as a result of the creation of Ministries are being held by Ministries. Therefore, the earlier the various groups of records are brought to the archives and allocated their regular provenance, the better it will be for their future safe-keeping.

The structure of the National Archives of Uganda, Entebbe

History of the National Archives

14. The National Archives of Uganda is located in Entebbe, the former admin­istrative capital of Uganda. The Archives are housed in the basement of the former Chief Secretary's Office building, which later became the office of the Prime Minister and now houses the Ministry of Public Services and Cabinet Affairs.

15 The first attempt made to organise the archives of Uganda was made in May, 1950, when the Colonial Office appointed Mr P.T. English, a former Clerk and Customs Officer, Grade I, of the Treasury, Gilbert and Ellice Island, as Govern­ment Archivist of Uganda, As he was a non-graduate, he was given some six months' practical training at the Public Records Office, London, and the Colonial Office Revision of Records Section, before he assumed duty in Entebbe on 12 February 1951« During his tenure of office which lasted some 30 months, he worked only on the Secretariat archives. He then produced a Catalogue, A Master Pile Index, and Calendar (Digest) of Correspondence of the Commissioners of the Protectorate between 1893 and 1894. His appointment was terminated on 24 April, 1954.

16. The Colonial Office appointed as Government Archivist in April, 1955, a professionally qualified archivist, Mr J.P.M. Powle, formerly Senior Assistant Archivist of the Wiltshire County Council from 1949 to 1955. Unfortunately he left Entebbe on leave after a year's service and resigned his appointment on 22 December, I956.

17. There followed an 'interregnum' from 1957 to 1971 when the archives were left in charge of a Clerical Assistant, Mr Martin Mukasa (now an Executive 0 Officer), who had had the good fortune to work with both Mr English and Mr Powle. His work was, however, supervised by Administrative Officers. In 1971, however, the Government of Uganda arranged for a Ugandan graduate to train at the Univer­sity of London School of Librarianship and Archives, but nothing came out of this training. The supervision of the work in the archives therefore continued in the hands of administrative officers. But from this time the Research Secretariat, a department in the Office of the President, assumed direct control of the archives. Then, in 1974, two graduate administrative officers were posted to the Archives, but one was re-posted to another Ministry two months later, and only one, Mr E.J. Wani, remained to look after the archives. Mr Wani's posting to the Archives coincided with the establishment of a Regional Training Centre for Archivists, a UNDP financed project (RAF/72/071) with Unesco as Executing Agency and the Department of Library and Archival Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, as Government co-operating Agency. Prom October 1975 to September 1976, Mr Wani studied at this Training Centre for his Post-graduate Diploma in Archival Studies which he successfully completed. At present one more Ugandan graduate, Miss Florence Anne Luziraa, is training for her Post-graduate Diploma, and hopes to pass out by the end of October 1978. There are, however, two other graduate administrative officers posted to the National Archives in Entebbe who are yet to receive post-graduate training in archival studies.

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l8. In the meanwhile, certain changes took place in the Research Secretariat in the Office of the President which affected the future of the archives. It was not until April 1977 that the Secretary for Research, Mr C.A.N. Mulingoki, was appointed at Principal Assistant Secretary level to deal directly with the Principal Secretary on matters concerning archives.

Existing Staff

17. There is a vacant post of Government Archivist. The officer now in charge of the archives is Mr E.J. Wani, an Administrative Officer, who is acting as a Senior Assistant Secretary. There are three other Assistant Secretaries, one of whom is training at the Regional Training Centre for Archivists (project RAF/72/071) in the University of Ghana. One Higher Executive Officer, one Executive Officer, one Senior Clerical Officer, one Cleriacal Officer, one Copy Typist, one Clerical Assistant and one Messenger are also working in the Archives. Altogether, the total staff now at post is 11; and at the apex is the Research Secretariat located in the Office of the President, Kampala, with the Secretary for Research as the supervising officer of the National Archives of Uganda.

The Repository

20. The earliest records in the Repository go back to l888. They cover the activities of:

a) the British Imperial East African Company from l888 to 1893, b) the Commissioners of the Protectorate, and c) the Foreign Office from 1894 to I905 when the first Governor of the

Protectorate was appointed.

21. The main series of records, however, pertain to the Chief Secretary's Office from 1921 to 1962. Other records include Despatches to and from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Minutes Papers, 'P' Files, Executive and Legislature Council Minutes from 1921 to 1958» Registers and Indexes, Basic Instruments covering Treaties of the British Imperial East African Company, Protectorate Agreements with African Governments and Institutions, District Records, Annual Reports, Subject Files, Newspapers and Press Cuttings, Gazettes, Reports of Commissions and Committees, Blue Books, Parliamentary Debates and other foreign publications.

22. All these records are housed in the basement of the former Chief Secretary^ Office, some on steel shelves and others on wooden shelves. Others are being kept in boxes and yet others are lying on open shelves. The storage, however, is divided into sections housing certain categories of records. The Confidential Correspondence, 'PT Files, Minutes of the Executive and Legislative Council, other confidential files and the District records of the four former kingdoms of Buganda, Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro and the Busoga Territory are kept in a strong room. It is estimated, according to the International Directory of Archives Vol. XXII - XXIII of Archivum published by the International Council on Archives in 1972/73, that these archives occupy about 2 miles of shelving, which is the full capacity of the Repository. There is no room for receiving additional records from other Government departments and the newly created Ministries and Parastatal organisations. A significant omission is the fact that these records are not classified and their identification depends on the use of the old secretariat indexes and cards.

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Legislation

2j?. Apart from some Uganda Government Standing Orders (1969 Edition) on the Disposal of Records, there is no archival legislation.

Search room

2.K. There is limited research activity in the National Archives where access is restricted to the 50-year rule. Permission for the use of the records is granted by the Secretary for Research in the Office of the President. But there is at present no Search'Room at the National Archives of Uganda and search is normally undertaken in either the office of the Officer in charge of the Archives or in the Enquiry Office, both of which are located on the Ground Floor of the Secretariat Building.

Records management

25. There is no activity in this field: departments and ministries are still keeping all their non-current records.

Technical services

26. The National Archives of Uganda, as at present constituted, has neither a Conservation Laboratory nor a Reprographic Unit. Most of the records are in dire need of repair as the repository where the records are kept is very humid -a situation which is made worse by its proximity to the waters of Lake Victoria.

Training

27. At present only 2 officers in the senior grade have received post-graduate training in archival studies. One of them is due to finish the training by the end of October 1978.

Visits to Departments, Ministries, and other archival establishments in Kampala

Visit to Jinja, the Headquarters of the Busoga Province

28. To get some idea of the accumulation of non-current records in the prov­inces and the former kingdoms, I visited Jinja, the provincial headquarters of the Busoga Province (formerly the headquarters of the former Eastern Province and one of the original districts of the colonial era), The non-current records in this office go back to 19OO and include Subject Piles, Country Record Books, Minutes of the meetings of the National Resources sub-committee of the District County Show sub-committee, Minutes Book of the Busoga Lukiiko (Assembly), Personal Records of Chiefs and Influential Native, to mention only a few of the record groups. The total foot-run of shelving is about 800 in the basement of the office building where they are kept. Some are on wooden shelves, others in cupboard, and share quarters with some old items of furniture like broken chairs, flags, etc. - a situation which is far from ideal. However, current records are kept in steel filing cabinets. Prom this sample survey, it can be safely deduced that there are various classes of records lying unattended in the 4 kingdoms and the other districts which must be properly housed.

Visit to the Ministry of Justice Archives - the archives of the High Court of Uganda and the Ministry of Education

29. It was arranged for me to visit the Ministry of Justice archives and

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registry, but since it is a recent creation I decided to visit the Registry of the High Court of Uganda to find out how the non-current records of the Court are kept. I was taken round by Mr A.M.C. Ochwo, the Deputy Registrar of the High Court, who informed me that three categories of records are kept in the Court Archives, namely:

a) Exhibit records b) Criminal Records Files c) Civil Records Files

30. The Judiciary of Uganda, which is under the Ministry of Justice as at present constituted, consists of the Court of Appeal, High Court, Chief Magis­trate's Court, Magistrate Courts Grade I, II and III. But the Grade III Courts are now being phased out.

31. The High Court has its own rules for the preservation and disposal of its own records - The Court Archives Rules made under Act II of 1967 and the Records Disposal Rules of Act 42 of 1964. By these rules there are certain categories of records to be kept permanently and others to be destroyed after periods ranging from 3 to 12 years. But by a combination of unfortunate circumstances all court records of individual cases are being indiscriminately destroyed after every twelve years. The present situation is that all records of individ­ual cases which are twelve years old are destroyed, despite the provisions of the Records Disposal Rules of Act 42 of 1967. All records prior to 1967 have therefore been destroyed, very much to the detriment of historical scholarship. The present holdings occupy 1,600 foot-run of wooden shelving. As usual, the records have been relegated to basement storage.

32. I also visited the Ministry of Education Registry and its backlog of accumulations. Judging by these two visits, masses of records must be lying uncared for in most of the other ministries.

Visit to the Archives Wing of the African Section of Makerere University Library, Kampala

33. I was invited to visit the Archives Wing of the Africana Section of Makerer University Library, Kampala, and to inspect the work being done by Mr Francis Mporaulekule, a postgraduate Diplomate in Archival Studies trained at the Regional Training Centre for Archivists (RAF/72/071) in the 1975/76" aca­demic year, the first year of the Centre's operation. He is now engaged in the preparation of lists of the Church Missionary Society private archives which are in the possession of the Library. The advice I gave him will be embodied in my main recommendations under this heading.

Visit to the Archives of the Roman Catholic Rubaga Archdiocese Cathedral of Kampala

34. I was privileged to visit the archives of the Roman Catholic Rubaga Archdiocese Cathedral of Kampala where a white Father Y. Tuourigny is the Archivist. ,(He has been in Uganda for over 38 years). The archives are well kept and classified. They go back to 1879, the year of the founding of the Roman Catholic Church in Uganda which culminated in the heroism of the Martyrs of Uganda; and they include correspondence between the Pope and Bishops and Cardinal, of Uganda, Baptismal Registers, Marriage Registers, etc. They are all preserved on steel shelving in a specially built archivecum-library building with some conservation facilities which are far from ideal. All the ten bishop­rics of Uganda keep their own records. (My recommendations for conservation here will feature in my main recommendations).

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RECOMMENDATIONS - SHORT TERM

Staff and training

35« Since very little work has been done on the archives of Uganda, a staff complement of 60 (20 senior members and 40 junior members) would be needed instead of the present meagre number of 11.

In-service training and training at the Regional Training Centre for Archivists (RIGA), (project RAF/72/071)'

36. Apart from the in-service training to be organised by the two profession­ally qualified archivists, every opportunity should be given to the newly recruited staff to train for the Post-graduate Diploma in Archival Studies and the Certificate in Archives Administration at the Regional Training Centre for Archivists (RTCA), which is located in the Départaient of Library and Archival Studies of the Universities of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, during the 197&/79 academic year, starting from 2 January 1979»

37. I recommend that 3 officer of the National Archives of Uganda should be trained at the RTCA - one for the Postgraduate Diploma, which last 12 months, and 2 for the Certificate course, which lasts 9 months. In this connection, the University of Ghana Admission Forms have been completed and have been lodged with the Deputy Academic Registrar for necessary action. As far as funding is concerned, the Uganda National Commission for Unesco may wish to apply for funds from Unesco under its Participation Programme. For the 1979/80 academic year at least 2 officers should be trained - at the Post-graduate Diploma level or at the Certificate level. Thereafter, other officers should be trained, two at a time in subsequent academic years, at both the Post-graduate Diploma and Certificate levels. In this way, by I985 a hard core of trained staff would have passed out of the RTCA, University of Ghana, Legon. In addition 2 Tech­nicians should be trained in both Conservation and Reprography at the two work­shops to be mounted at the RTCA, University of Ghana, Legon, in April 1979, "to be followed by intensive six months practical training in both fields in either the Malaysia National Archives, Kuala Lumpur, or the National Archives of India, New Delhi.

38. By 1985, under the crash programme envisaged, the structure of the staff of the National Archives of Uganda will look like the following:

Senior Staff (Graduate

1 Director of Records/Goverment Archivists Salary Fixed on U.1 Scale 1 Deputy Director of Record/Government Archivist Fixed on U.l. Scale 2 Principal Archivists U.2 6 Senior Archivists U.2 10 Archivist Grades I and II 20 Total

Junior Staff (Non-Graduate)

1 Principal Archives Officer 2 Senior Archives Officers 4 Archives Officers 8 Senior Archives or Records Assistants 10 Archives or Records Assistants Grade 1 15 Archives or Records Assistants Grade II 40 Total

U.3 U.4 U.5 U.6 U.7 u.8

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Technical

1 Conservator - Chief Salary to be determined 1 Reprographer - Chief Salary to be determined

Unesco travel grants

39- It is recommended that Postgraduate Diplomates who have worked in the field for at least one year be awarded travel fellowships of 6 months' duration tenable either in USA and Canada, or in India, Malaysia and Australia to enrich their experience.

12. Legislation

40. As there is no archival legislation in Uganda, I recommend that a Presi­dential Decree on archives should be enacted as early as possible. The outline of the legislation could possibly be based on the following legislations:

a) The Public Archives Ordinance, No. 35 of 1955 together with its Regu­lations - Legal Notice No. 258 of 1958,

b) The Public Record Act 1958 of the United Kingdom, c) The National Archives Act of 1965 of Tanzania, d) The Public Archives Act 1965 of Sierra Leone.

This outline is appended to this Report as Appendix 4.

Records management - Issue of a Presidential Circular on the Care and Disposal of Public Records in Ministries and Departments

41. Pending the enactment of an archival legislation, I recommend that a Presidential Circular on the Care and Disposal of Records in Ministries and Departments should be issued on receipt of this report. A draft proposal for a Presidential Circular is attached as Appendix 5«

42. The essential point this circular makes is the need to give the Officer in charge of the Archives enough power to conduct a survey of records holdings of all ministries and department. (A specimen questionnaire to be used for this exercise is attached as Appendix 6. ) Additionally, the circular will give the staff of the National Archives of Uganda powers to examine and schedule for disposal of non-current public records either for destruction or for preser­vation. On the question of access, the circular seeks to reduce the 50-year rule to 30 years to permit maximum utilisation of the public archives for his­torical scholarship.

43. Another recommendation of the circular is the appointment of a Committee on Public Archives which will constitute itself into an Appraisal Committee. It is suggested that the membership of the Committee should be as follows: the Officer in charge of the Archives or Acting Government Archivist as Chairman; the Secretary for Research, Office of the President; representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Justice; a member of the Department of History, Makerere University; the University Librarian or his representative; and two other prominent persons appointed by the Minister responsible for Archives because of their specialised knowledge. It will be seen that the composition of the Committee has been made in such a way as to safeguard the administrative, legal, financial, historical or other values enshrined in the public records. A representative of the Ministry/Department whose records are being examined will attend the meetings of the Committee to answer any queries that members of

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the Committee will ask. And the Secretary of the Committee will be a senior member of the National Archives of Uganda. The circular also contains hints on the care and custody of records. What is more, relevant and appropriate forms have been designed (see Appendix 7)«

Cutt-off date

44. It is recommended that all public records created before 1921 should be preserved in their entirety irrespective of their value.

Transfer of the Headquarters of the National Archives of Uganda from Entebbe to Kampala

45. As soon as practicable, it is recommended that the headquarters of the National Archives of Uganda be transferred from its present location in Entebbe to Kampala, which is now the administrative capital of Uganda.

46. The public records should be housed temporarily in the newly constructed Uganda House where basement storage space is being made available. If this accommodation does not materialise, then the Ministry of Provincial Adminis5-tration building, which was recently destroyed by fire, should be rehabilitated and made suitable for use as temporary headquarters of the National Archives of Uganda.

Arrangement and description of records

47. In view of the fact that there are no finding aids to the records now being held in Entebbe, it is recommended that the present skeleton staff should, as a matter of urgency, undertake the classification of the records by prov­enance and prepare preliminary invenroties and a guide for the use of searchers.

Site

48. Two suitable sites should be acquired in Kampala for the construction of a permanent building and a records centre to serve as an intermediate records repository for non-current records before they are either destroyed or trans­ferred to the permanent building of the National Archives of Uganda.

Follow-up mission of two to three weeks' duration for Unesco consultant

49. It is suggested that, before the implementation of the short-term rec­ommendations, arrangements should be made for a Consultant to visit Uganda on a short mission to liaise with officials of the Government as to how best the shortterm recommendations can be implemented.

High Court records

50. It is recommended that the indiscriminate destruction of High Court or other court records every 12 years should be stopped immediately. Instead, the Officer in charge of the Archives or Acting Government Archivist should be requested to work on whatever records are available now and have them trans­ferred to the National Archives of Uganda, Kampala.

The Archives Branch of Africana Section of Makerere University Library

51. The Librarian/Archivist in charge of this Branch has been advised to

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prepare Class lists of individual files instead of the present laborious task of inventorying individual letters in the file series.

52. It is also recommended that he should in due course be given powers to work on the entire University archives and to have these centralised in the basement of the University Library, which should be rendered suitable for archival purposes. In other words, the basement should be burglar-proofed, air conditioned with a relative humidity of 55$ to 65%, and fitted with steel shelving.

The Archives of the Roman Catholic Rubaga Archdiocese Cathedral of Kampala

55. The present storage facilities are adequate, but the Cathedral archives are weak in conservation, especially in repair facilities. It would be desir­able to train staff in the simple hand lamination process of repairing documents. either at the National Archives of India, New Delhi, or at the National Archives of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. The proposed two-month Workshop in Conservation and Reprography to be mounted at the Regional Training Centre for Archivists, Uni­versity of Ghana, Legon, in April/May 1979 should perhaps be brought to the attention of the Archivist in charge.

LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS

Building

54. International assistance should be sought for the services of an Architec­tural Consultant to help design both the permanent archives building as well as the Records Centre building.

Laboratories

55« It is recommended that both Conservation and Reprographic Laboratories should be established and arrangements made for equipping them with adequate modern machinery and materials.

Migrated archives

36. As soon as funds permit, either from local or external sources, the early records of Uganda that are preserved in overseas archival repositories should be microfilmed and sent to Kampala for storage and use.

External assistance for training

57- To contribute to the orderly establishment of the National Archives of Uganda, it is recommended that external aid be sought to assist the local staff to have a successful take-off.

Opening of Provincial Records Centres

58. As and when funds permit, Provincial Records Centres should be established in each of the 10 Provinces into which Uganda is at present divided.

Oral history (Tradition)

59« As Uganda has rich cultural traditions and as very little has found

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expression in any historical writing, I recommend that an Oral History Unit should be created within the archival set-up.

S taff-structure

60. The projected manpower of the National Archives of Uganda, when fully developed, will be headed by a Director of Records/Government Archivist assisted by a Deputy and by l8 other professional staff and 40 sub-professional staff. The staff structure is shown in Appendix 8.

PART II - THE NATIONAL DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

Structure

. History

61. It is worth mentioning that before Unesco convened in Paris, in September 197^» the Intergovernmental Conference on the Planning of National Documentation, Library and Archives Infrastructures, Uganda by Act 38 of 1969, established a Deposit Library and Documentation Centre, which is located at the Institute of Public Administration, Kampala. (This Act is appended to this Report as Appendix 9). This Deposit Library and Documentation Centre was established primarily to have copies of whatever is published in Uganda deposited there for effective exploitation by present and future users. Although those who drafted the Act used the term 'Documentation Centre' and probably had some idea of what such a centre should do, it is doubtful whether the Documentation Centre they had in mind has the essential ingredients of a Documentation Centre as now defined. For nowhere in the Act was the real work of a 'Documentation Centre' spelt out. A National Documentation Centre, as we understood it today, is expected to acquire, process, organize, store, co-ordinate and disseminate specialized information. In other words, it is a place which organizes selective in-depth information services, based on books, journals, articles and documents(published and unpublished) which are meant for specific groups of users in particular organisations like industry, subject-fields, and geographical areas. Ot to quote from Mr L.E. Samarasinghe's article on Ceylon (Sri Lanka) National Scientific and Technical Documentation Centre published in Paris in 1969, a Documentation Centre is "that aspect of bibliographic organisation which treats the materials and needs of the scholars and hence is concerned with the schol­arly apparatus of bibliographies, abstracting and indexing servioes. Therefore documentation is to be regarded as an essential part of our modern system of . scholarship and instrumental device to expedite the flow of recorded infor­mation within a group of specialists or between various groups of specialists".

62. I must mention here that Dr Than of the Philippines worked in Uganda on a UNDP assisted project for some eighteen months between 197^ and 1976 to estab­lish a Documentation Centre at the Institute of Public Administration. She managed during her tenure of office to acquire a number of publications both from Government, Parastatal Organizations and other sources; and to date the Documentation Centre has a collection of about 3,500 Uganda Government and other publications. But the report she submitted on her work was not available for my study. Another outcome of her mission was the training of a Ugandan Mr Justin N. Kiyimba, as a Documentalist in the United States of America. On

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his return home, he was appointed Librarian/Documentalist in charge of the Deposit Library and Documentation Centre at the Institute of Public Adminis­tration, Kampala. Another Ugandan, Mr Ogwang Ameny, has completed a post­graduate course in documentation in India and has joined the staff, thus making two professionally trained ducumentalists.

63- The term 'Documentation Centre1 pre-supposes the fact that the other essential components in the system are fully developed and are functioning satisfactorily.

Libraries

64. A Public Libraries Board was established in 1964 when the Public Libraries Act was passed. At present it has 20 Branch Libraries scattered throughout the oountry, apart from the Headquarters Reference Library, City Library and Children's Library it maintains in Kampal. Besides, it undertakes a Book Box service for institutions which have no libraries. But one serious drawback of the Public Libraries Board is that it has no permanent building. At present it is operating in temporary buildings which have been adapted for library purposes.

65. There are a number of school libraries, notably the St. Mary's College Library, which contains more than 15,000 books at Kisubi and which I had the privilege of visiting during my mission. Its new permanent building was opened on 21 March 1965 and dedicated to the memory of 12 students who died in a lorry accident in November 1964.

66. Another highly developed library is the Makerere University and its Medical School Library which has produced the East African Medical Bibliography which has received worldwide recognition. It receives print-outs from the National Library of Medicine of the United States of America. There are six other departmental libraries, including that of the East African School of Librarianship. It is at this School that librarians in East Africa are trained at three levels - post-graduate, undergraduate diploma, and certificate. It is worth mentioning that 'Documentation' has recently been added to the subjects taught.

67. There are other departmental and special libraries. The most important of them are listed in Appendix 10.

68. In fact, the National Archives of Uganda is in the process of being devel­oped and will take its rightful place in the system when the recommendations for its development are fully implemented.

RECOMMENDATIONS - SHORT TERM

Legislation

69 It is recommended that the existing law, Act 38 of 1969, should be amended, to establish a National Documentation Centre in the true meaning of the term. The essential features of the amended legislation should be provided by a working Committee of experts appointed by the Government.

Appointment of Working Committee

70. A working Committee on a National Documentation Centre should be appointed as early as possible not only to advise on the new legislation, but also to help

- 13 -

establish a National Documentation Centre. This Committee should comprise the following members:

i) The Librarian/Documentalist of the Institute of Public Administration Deposit Library and Documentation Centre - Chairman

ii) The Librarian, Makerere University Library

iii) The Director of the Public Libraries Board

iv) The Secretary for Research, Office of the President

v) The Director, East African School of Librarianship, Makerere University

vi) The Secretary General, Uganda National Commission for Unesco

vii) Two other librarians to be appointed by the Government to represent the special libraries in the field of industry and research

viii) A senior member of staff of the Deposit Library/Documentation Centre of I.P.A. - Secretary

Ace ommodation

71. The existing accommodation should be air-conditioned and properly equipped to house the National Documentation Centre. A new site should be acquired for the permanent building to be constructed by the Government of Uganda.

The National Documentation Centre

72. It should have its own budget and operate it independently of the Deposit Library of the Institute of Public Administration.

Staff

75. At present there are two trained documentalists in Uganda. For the National Documentation Centre to function properly, however, six more documen­talists should be recruited to bring the number of professional staff members to 8. At the same time, two technicians in reprography and binding should be recruited. Thus, the total number of Senior Staff would be 10.

74. At the junior level 26 officers will be required, 21 of whom could be recruited from holders of the undergraduate diploma of the East African School of Librarianship. The other five should be trained by the two technicians. Appendix 11 gives the staff structure of the National Documentation Centre.

Training

75« It would be desirable for the two documentalists travel grants of six months' duration to enable them visit well established Documentation Centres in the developed countries of the world to get exposed to various ideas and experiences. There are, for instance, the British Library, the CNRS (Centre national de Recherche Scientifique in France), INSDOC (Indian National Scien­tific Documentation Centre, The National Medical Library in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, etc... to mention only a few.

76. Besides, post-graduate training in documentation lasting some 12 months should also be provided. Funds should also be made available for the pro­fessional documentalists to attend seminars, workshops, and conferences organ­ised in the field of documentation.

- 14 -

RECOMMENDATIONS - LONG TERM

Permanent accommodation

77« A permanent building should be provided for the National Documentation Centre in the foreseeable future say, by the middle of the 1980s at the latest. In this connection, Unesco could be requested to provide a consultancy mission.

SUMMARY OP RECOMMENDATIONS

PART I - THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

SHORT-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS

Staff and Training

78. There is need to have a staff complement of 60, consisting of 20 senior members and 40 junior members.

In-service Training at the Regional Training Centre for Archivists (RTCA). University of Ghana. Legon (RAF/72/071)

79« Three officers of the National Archives of Uganda should be trained at project RAF/72/071 - one for the post-graduate Diploma and two for the certifi­cate in Archives Administration during the 1978/79 academic year starting on 2 January, 1979« Thereafter, four officers - two at post-graduate Diploma level and two at Certificate level to be trained in the 1979/8° academic year and one at each level in subsequent academic years. In addition two technicians should participate in both Conservation and Reprography Workshops to be mounted at the RTC, University of Ghana Legon in April/May 1979 to be followed by intensive six months' practical training in both fields in either Malaysia National Archives Kuala Lumpur, or the National Archives of India, New Delhi.

Unesco Travel Fellowships

80. Post-graduate diplomates with at least one year's post-qualification experience should be awarded travel fellowships of six months' duration tenable either in U.S.A. and Canada or in India, Malaysia and Australia.

Legislation

81. A Presidential Decree on archives should be enacted as soon as possible; the proposal for an outline is appended to this Report as Appendix 4.

Records Management - Issue of a Presidential Circular on the Care and Disposal of Public Records In Ministries and Departments

82. As an interim measure, a Presidential Circular on the Care and Disposal of Records in Ministries and Departments should be issued after study of this report. The draft of such a Presidential Circular is attached as Appendix 5-

- 15 -

Cut-off date

83. All public records created before 1921 should be preserved, irrespective of their value.

Transfer of the Headquarters of the National Archives of Uganda from Entebbe to Kampala

84. The headquarters of the National Archives of Uganda should be transferred from Entebbe to Kampala and housed either in Uganda House or in the recently destroyed Ministry of Provincial Administration building which could be re­habilitated and made suitable for archival purposes.

Arrangement and description of Records

85. The present staff should, as a metter of urgency, undertake the classifi­cation of the records by provenance and prepare preliminary inventories and a guide for the use of searchers.

Site

86. Two suitable sites should be acquired in Kampala for the permanent build­ings of the National Archives of Uganda and its Records Centre.

Follow-up Mission of two to three weeks for a Unesco Consultant

87. Before the implementation of the short-term recommendations, a Unesco Consultant should undertake a short mission of about three weeks' duration to liaise with officials of the Government as to how best the short-term recommen­dations can be implemented.

High Court Records

88. The indiscriminate destruction of High Court or other Court records every 12 years should be stopped immediately and the Officer in charge of the Archives requested to work on whatever non-current records are available now and have them transferred to the National Archives of "ganda, Kampala.

The Archives Branch of Africana Section of Makerere University Library

89. The Librarian/Archivist should prepare Class Lists of private collections in his custody and.later be requested to work on the entire University archives.

The Archives of the Roman Catholic Rubaga Diocese Cathedral of Kampala

90. It would be sedirable to provide training in conservation, at the proposed two-month Workshop in Conservation and Reprography to be mounted at the RTCA, University of Ghana Legon in April/May 1979.

LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS

Building

91. Assistance should be sought to provide an Architectural Consultant to help design both the permanent National Archives and Records Centre buildings.

- 16 -

Laboratories

92. Both Conservation and Reprography Laboratories should be established and suitably equipped.

Migrated Archives

93. As soon as funds permit, the early records of Uganda that are preserved in overseas archival repositories should be microfilmed and sent to Kampala for storage and use.

External assistance for training

94. To contribute to the orderly establishment of the National Archives of Uganda, it would be desirable to seek external assistance for the local staff in achieving a successful take-off.

Opening of Provincial Records Centres

95. 10 Provincial Records Centres should be established as and when funds permit«

Oral History

96. An Oral History should be established within the National Archives of Uganda to records on tapes the rich cultural traditions, very little of which have found expression in any historical writing.

Staff Structure of the National Archives of Uganda

97. It is recommended that the present man-power of the National Archives of Uganda should be increased to a total of 62 by I985. Of this number 20 should be trained professional archivists. Forty trained sub-professional staff and two technicians in conservation and reprography will have to train their sub­ordinate staff.

PART II NATIONAL DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

SHORT-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS

Legislation

98. The existing law, Act 38 of I969, should be amended to establish a National Documentation Centre.

Appointment of a Working Committee

99. A Working Committee on the National Documentation Centre should be appointed to help draft the amended legislation.

- 17 -

Accommodation

100. The existing accommodation at the Institute of Public Administration in Kampala should be air-conditioned and properly equipped. A new site should be acquired for the permanent building.

The National Documentation Centre

101. It should have its own budget and operate it independently from Deposit Library of the Institute of Public Administration.

102. Six more documentalists should be trained to bring the number of pro­fessional staff to eight, and two technicians in reprography and binding should be trained. The junior staff should total 26, 21 of whom should be recruited from holders of the undergraduate diploma of the East African School of Librarianship. The remaining five should be technicians to be trained by the two technicians.

Training

103. The Government may wish to apply to Unesco for six-month study grants to enable the two documentalists in post to visit some of the well established documentation centres in the developed countries. In addition, post-graduate training in documentation lasting twelve months should be provided at the rate of two trainees a year starting from the I979/198O academic year.

L0NG-TEBM RECOMMENDATIONS

Permanent Accommodation

104. A permanent building should be provided for the National Documentation Centre by I985 and international assistance should be sought to provide a consultancy mission.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

105. In conclusion, I would like to express my grateful thanks to UNESCO for inviting me to undertake this consultancy mission to Uganda. I am also grateful to the Government of the Republic of Uganda for facilitating my mission, more especially to Mr M.G. Magoba, Secretary General, Uganda National Commission for Unesco, Mr CA. Mulingoki, Secretary for Research, Office of the President, Mr. E.J. Wani, Officer in charge of the National Archives of Uganda, Mr. J.M. Kiyimba, Librariar/Documentalist of the Institute of Public Administration, and Mr. Mugasha, Deputy Librarian, Makerere University Library.

106. I am particularly grateful to Ms. Sawuda Ali, Private Secretary to the Secretary, Research Secretariat of the President, who was so kind to convey me in her private car to Entebbe when the official car placed at my disposal was temporarily immobilised. In this connection, I am also indebted to her friend Ms. Christine Kikkundu, Senior Assistant Secretary, Uganda Teaching Commission, Ministry of Education and formerlyof the Office of the President, who ac­companied us on our trip to Entebbe. Finally, I am deeply indebted to His Excellency the Acting Ghana High Commissioner to Uganda, Kr. Y. Aidoo, for his invaluable assistance to me on my arrival in Kampala and during my entire stay in Uganda. And my thanks are also due to all others, too many to single out for individual mention, who assisted me in diverse ways during my mission.

- 18 APPENDIX 1

Ref: UM.25

UGANDA NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO

Ministry of Education Crested Towers P.O. Box 4962 KAMPALA

Tel. 59713

MR AKITA'S CONSULTANCY MISSION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL DOCUMENTATION AND ARCHIVES SERVICES IN UGANDA UNDER PARTICIPATION PROGRAMME FOR 1977/Î978

(REQUEST NO. 6674)

Mr Akita will be accompanied by Mr C.N. Mulingoki, Office of the President. He stays at the Imperial Hotel

Monday. 26th June, 1978

Morning Hours

2.30 p.m.

Tuesday. 27th June, 1978,

8.30 a.m.

10.30 a.m.

2.30 p.m.

Wednesday. 28th June. 1978

Morning Hours

Afternoon Hours

Thursday, 29th June, 1978

9.OO a.m.

2.30 p.m.

Mr Akita visits UNDP Kampala

Visits the Public Libraries Board in Kampala and meets the Director - He also visits Children's Library in Kampala

- Visits the School of Librarianship, Makerere University and meets the Director

- Visits Makerere University Library

- Visits Documentation Centre at IPA Kampala

Pays a courtesy call to the Hon. Minister of Public Service & Cabinet Affairs and also meets the Permanent Secretary

Visits City Library

Visits National Archives in Entebbe and meets the Officer in charge.

LUNCH at Lake Victoria Hotel

Visits St Mary's College Kisubi Library on his way from Entebbe

- 19 -

Saturday, 1st July, 1978

8.30 a.m.

Mr C.N. Mulingoki Office of the President

Director, Public Libraries Board

Meets with officials connected with National Archives and Documentation in the Office of the Secretary-General, Uganda National Commission for UNESCO, Crested Towers:

Mr J.N. Kiyiroba Librarian/Documentalist at IPA.

Mr E.J. Wani Officer in charge of National Archives

Purpose ;

a) To discuss areas of investigations and recommendations;

b) To discuss points arising from visits and briefs.

Monday. 3rd July, 1978 - National Archives in Entebbe to

Thursday to 6th July, 1978 (Morning Hours)

Thursday, 6th July, 1978 (Afternoon . Hours) to

Saturday. 8th July. 1978

Monday. 10th July. 1978

Tuesday. 11th July. 1978

Weshesday, 12th July, 1978

Discussion on Training Programme

C.N. Mulingoki

Director, Public Libraries Board

- Documentation Centre at IPA Kampala

Visits: JinJa, Headquarters of Busoga Province and of the former Eastern Province.

Visits: Ministry of Justice Archives and Registry, High Court of Uganda Archives, Ministry of Education Archives and Registry

(Mr A M ta discusses with Messrs:

J.N. Kiyimba

E.J. Wani

This meeting will take place in the office of the Secretary-General, Uganda National Commission for Unesco, Crested Towers, Kampala.

Afternoon

Thursday, 13th July, 1978

Saturday, 15th July. 1978

Monday. 17th July, 1978

Visit to Roman Catholic Rubaga Cathedral Archives of Kampala

Mr Akita discusses with Mr E.J. Wani, Officer in charge of the National Archives, Entebbe.

Mr Akita visits Makerere University Library - Africana Section and Archives

Mr Akita leaves Entebbe for Paris by Air Prance.

- 20 -APPENDIX 2

LIST OF MINISTRIES DT UGANDA

1. President's Office

2. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

3. Ministry of Animal Resources

4. Ministry of Commerce

5. Ministry of Culture and Community Development

.6. Ministry of Co-operative and Marketing

7. Ministry of Defence

8. Ministry of Education

9. Ministry of Finance

10. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

U . Ministry of Health

12. Ministry of Justice

13. Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism

14. Ministry of Internal Affairs

15. Ministry of Labour

16. Ministry of Land and Water Resources

17. Ministry of Transport and Works

18. Ministry of Public Service and Cabinet Affairs

19. Ministry of Provincial Administrations

20. Ministry of Housing and Public Buildings

21. Ministry of Industry and Power

22. Ministry of Aviations and Communication

25. Ministry of Planning and Economic Development

- 21 -

MINISTRY

1) Finance

2) Commerce

3) Co-operative and Marketing

4) Agriculture and Forestry

5) Transport and Works

6) Industry and Power

PARASTATAL BODIES

Bank of Uganda The Uganda Commercial Bank The National Insurance

Corporation Uganda Development Bank

Uganda Advisory Board of Trade

The Departed Asian's Property Custodian Board

Uganda Co-operative and Transport Union Limited

The Co-operative Bank Ltd Coffee Marketing Board Lint Marketing Board Produce Marketing Board Small Holders Tobacco Project

Uganda Tea Authority National Sugar Works

(Kinyala) Limited

The Uganda Transport Co. Uganda Railway Corporation Uganda Posts and Telecom­munication Corporation

Uganda Airlines

; National Textiles Board The Uganda Steel Corpor­ation

The Uganda Cement Corporation

; The Uganda Development ! Corporation

DEPARTMENTS

Uganda Computor Services Income Tax Department Inland Revenue Treasury

Weights and Measure Bureau and Trade Development Section •

Specified Companies

Intra Africa Traders (U) Limite Uganda General Merchandise Limited

Uganda Pharamaceutical Limited Uganda Industrial Machinery Limited

Uganda Motors Limited Uganda Hardwares Limited Poods and Beverages National Textiles Board

Agricultural Department Forestry Department

Major Industries Kakira Sugar Works Lugazi Sugar Works Nyanza Textile Mill Limited

l i

- 22 -

MINISTRY

6) cont'd

7) Housing and Public Buildings

8) Information Broadcasting and Tourism

9) Animal Resources

10) Land and Water Resources

11) Provincial Administrations

12) Public Service and Cabinet

15) President's Office

14) Culture and Community Development

15) Education

PARASTATAL BODIES

Uganda Electricity Board

The National Housing and Construction Corporation

• Uganda Broadcasting

Corporation The Uganda Tourist Develop­ment Corporation (UTDC)

Dairy Corporation Uganda Livestock Industries Limited

DEPARTMENTS

Pamba Textile Mill Limited United Garment Industry Limited Uganda Spinning Mill, Lira Uganda Fishnet Manufacturers Uganda Breweries Limited Lake Victoria Bottling Company Uganda National Tobacco Limited Uganda Hoes.Limited Uganda Baati Uganda Cement Factory Take Katwe Salt Project

Presidential Press Unit T.V. Services Tourism and Wild Life

Fisheries Department Game Department Tsetse Control Division Veterinary Department

Geological Survey and Mines Department

Land and Surveys and Water Development Department

Town and Regional Planning

Public Service Commission Institute of Public Administrât:

Religious Affairs Department Government Printer Community Affairs Research Secretariat

Department of Culture Section of Antiquities and Youth

Department of Community Develop­ment, Welfare and Probation and Refugees Section

The Inspectorate Division and Teaching Service Commission

- 23 -

MINISTRY

l6) Internal Affairs

17) Justice

l8) Labour

PARASTATAL BODIES

•

DEPARTMENTS

Immigration Department Government Chemist Police Department and Prison Service.

Public Prosecutions and Admin­istrator General's Department

The Judiciary -Court of Appeal, High Court Chief Magistrate Court Magistrate Court Grade I à II

Factory Inspectorate, Occu­pation Health and Hygiene Sections

Director of Industrial Training and Industrial Court

Social Security Fund and Kampala Employment Exchange

PROVINCES OF UGANDA

1. Nile Province

2. Northern Province

3. Karamoja Province

4. Western Province

5« Eastern Province

6. North Buganda Province

7. Busoga Province

8. Southern Province

9« Central Province

10. Southern Buganda Province

- 25 -APPENDIX 4

OUTLINE OF PUBLIC ARCHIVES DECREE FOR NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA

1. Short title and commencement 2. Interpretation

"Government Archivist/Chief Archivist/Director of Records" "Government Office" "The Minister" "The National Archives" "Place of deposit" "Public archives" "Records Centre"

3. Establishment of National Archives of Uganda and places of deposit: a) National Archives of Uganda b) Records Centre c) Other places of deposit

4. The Director and staff of the National Archives and their duties 5. Custodians of places of deposit and powers of the Director in respect of

such places 6. Examination of Government records and transfer to the National Archives

of Uganda or Records Centre 7« Selection of all public archives created before the year 1921 for permanent

preservation 8. Acquisition of other records 9« Archives to be open to public inspection, 30-year rule 10. Authentication of copies and use in evidence of such copies - seal of the

National Archives of Uganda 11. Appointment of Committee on Public Archives - Composition 12. Functions of Committee on Public Archives 13» Restriction on exportation of historical documents 14. Powers of the Minister to make Regulations for:

a) the admission of the public to the National Archives of Uganda and inspection by the public of the public archives

b) the transfer of any public archives from the custody of any Government office to the ̂ National Archives or to a Records Centre

c) the examination, disposal or destruction of public archives on the authority of the Committee on Public Archives

d) the fees to be paid in respect of services provided by the Director of Records

e) generally for the better carrying out of the objects and purposes of the Decree.

Regulations

Part I : Disposal of Public Archives Part II : Inspection of public archives in National Archives Part III : Miscellaneous

Penalties Special provisions relating to public archives with security classification

- 26 -

Schedules

Schedule 1 : Disposal Schedules, Transfer Schedules Schedule 2 : Application Form for Searcher's ticket, Application Form for

a document, Certification of Authentication Schedule 3 : Scale of fees.

References

1. Public Archives Ordinance of Ghana No. 35 of 1955 and Public Archives Regulations LN No. 258 of 1958

2. Public Archives Act of 196*5 of Sierra Leone 3. National Archives Act 1965 i of Tanzania 4. Public Records Act of 1958 of the United Kingdom.

- 27 -APPENDIX 5

MODEL FOR A DRAFT PRESIDENTIAL CIRCULAR ON THE CARE AND DISPOSAL OF PUBLIC RECORDS

1. The Government of Uganda has for some time been considering the need for establishing the National Archives of Uganda and has, accordingly, approached Unesco (under Participation Programme for 1977/78) for a one-month Consultancy-Mission. This mission was undertaken by an expert in June/July 1978. While his report is being awaited, the Government of Uganda has decided to take certain preliminary measures by issuing this Circular on the Care and Disposal of Public Records being held by Ministries, Departments and Parastatal Organisations.

2. It is an accepted fact that the records of the past administration of this country are the collective memory of the Government and constitute the raw material for historical scholarship. Besides, they help administrators, policy makers, and executors of policy decisions in the efficient discharge of their duties. For this reason, every effort should be made to safeguard the national heritage from uncontrolled destruction, poor conditions of storage, and the ravages of insects, rodents and the weather.

Establishment of the National Archives of Uganda

3. At present, there exists at Entebbe the nucleus of a National Archives service under the contro of the Secretary for Research in the Office of the President. This archival service is managed by the Officer in charge of the Archives, an Administrative Officer who has acquired professional training at the UNDP/Unesco-assisted Regional Training Centre for Archivists at the Univer­sity of Ghana, Legon (project RAF/72/071) and has yet to be appointed Government Archivist.

4. It is appreciated that the development of the National Archives of Uganda will take time. First, an archival legislation in the form of a Presiden­tial Decree will have to be enacted to establish the National Archives of Uganda and empower the Minister responsible for Archives to make regulations not only for the preservation of public records, the transfer of those selected for preservation to the Archives and public access to them, but also for the pro­vision of technical services in conservation and reprography and, above all, for the provision of a suitable and properly equipped archival building. In the meantime, it is essential to take certain remedial measures to prevent further loss and deterioration of the records.

The responsibility of Ministries, Department and Parastatal Organisations

5. As it is not in the public interest to allow public records to deterio­rate while in departmental custody (a situation that will involve costly repair treatment of documents to ensure their continuing preservation and therefore an expensive liability to Government) and as it is a time-consuming affair if public records are kept in an untidy and disarranged state (which makes retrieval of information a problem and, the arrangement of such records for appraisal, selection and disposal difficult), the Officer in charge of the Archives is hereby empowered to undertake a survey of all records holdings in Ministries, Departments and Parastatal Organisations and to advise on their care and dis­posal.

- 28 -

Appointment of a Public Archives Committee

6. With the co-operation of the Officer in charge of Archives, all Minis­tries, Department, and Parastatal Organisations are required to prepare lists of the holdings of their non-current records on the appropriate forms to be supplied by the officer in charge of Archives. These lists will be examined by a Special Committee which will constitute itself into an Appraisal Committee to determine the fate of the records. Those that are adjudged worthy of further preservation will be transferred to the Nationa Archives of Uganda and those not worthy of permanent preservation will be destroyed in accordance with rules to be laid down by this Committee. This Committee will be appointed by the President and will have, as its Chairman, the Officer in Charge of the Archives. Other members of the Committee will be the Secretary for Research, representa­tives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, the Director of the Public Libraries Board, the Department of History of MakerereUniversity, and the University Librarian or his representative and two other prominent persons to be appointed by the Minister responsible for Archives because of their specialised knowledge of the history of Uganda. In this way, this Committee will safeguard the administrative, legal, financial, historical, and other Interests enshrined in the public records.

. . Access to Public Records

7. Access to the public records by researchers and the public generally will be governed by existing regulations in force which should reduce the ban on access from 50 to 30 years. All applications for access to the public records will be routed through the Officer of the Archives at the National Archives of Uganda, Entebbe on the appropriate forms. He then will clear them with the Secretary for Research. But every researcher will be required to give an under­taking that on the completion of his research project, and on the publication of his book, thesis or dissertation from his researchers, he will deposit two copies of such publication with the Officer in charge of the Archives, National Archives of Uganda, Entebbe.

8. Under no circumstances should Ministries, Departments, Parastatal Organ­isations, Provincial and District Offices allow researchers to have access to public records in their custody without first clearing such requests with the Officer in charge of the Archives and the Secretary for Research in the Office of the President.

Useful Hints on the Care and Custody of Public Records

Care of Records

9. Ministries, Departments, etc. , should see to it that all records are properly cared for and no damage is done to them. The record rooms should be free from flooding and direct sunlight.

Ventilation for Records Rooms

10. Record rooms should, if circumstances permit, be air-conditioned. If this is not possible, windows and doors should be opened during dry days and ceiling fans switched on to allow air to circulate freely. The doors and windows should be fitted with fine mesh wire netting to prevent insect pests from entering the records rooms. Besides, the windows should be burglar-proofed.

- 29 -

Cleaning of Record Rooms

11. The record rooms should be kept neat and tidy and cleaned with a vacuum cleaner at least once a week. If a vacuum cleaner is not available, the records should be dusted at regular intervals.

Inspection of Record Rooms

12. Once every three months the records rooms should be thoroughly inspected for insect infestation.

Use of Insecticides

13. Once a week the records rooms should be sprayed with commercial insec­ticide mixtures such as Raid, Shelltox, Pif Paf, etc.

Prohibition against eating

14. Consumption of foodstuff is strictly prohibited in and near* record rooms.

Precaution against fire

15. Smoking, lighting of maichsticks or carrying of a naked flame are strictly prohibited in records rooms, which should be provided with adequate fire fighting equipment like fire extinguishers.

Storage of records in appropriate equipment

16. Records should be stored either in steel filing cabinets or on metal shelves. As far as possible, wooden shelves should not be used for the storage of records.

Non-current records

17» Non-current records should be kept separately in the records rooms but should not be dumped in there or in corridors, basements, etc. They should be listed and transferred to the Officer in Charge of Archives now based in Entebbe.

Care of Files

18. Care must be taken to ensure that file covers and the corners of enclos­ures do not get 'dog-eared'.

Minor repair of torn pages

19. Gum and cellulose-tape should never be used to repair torn pages as these will disintegrate and stain the records. Besides, it is difficult to remove cellulose-tape from documents without damaging the paper and print. Torn pages should be repaired by pasting with paper of the same type and quality using flour or starch paste or ordinary commercial paste.

30 -APPENDIX 6

QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE SURVEY OF RECORDS

When was your office established?

What is the earliest date of your records?

Give classes of records with their covering dates and where necessary indicate the filing arrangement

a) Files b) Ledgers or Account Books c) Reports d) Memoranda e) Agenda Material f ) Minutes g) Maps etc.

Indicate whether there are duplicate copies elsewhere

Indicate whether other files in the office have the same information

Where do you store your records? Indicate room number where applicable

Is the record room a) Fire-proof? b) Insect-proof? c) Burglar-proof?

Give name and rank of officer responsible for the upkeep of the records

How many non-current i.e. "put away" records do you have in your office and what is the annual rate of accumulation?

Give details in number of volumes or cubic or linear feet (indicate type of equipment - steel or wooden shelving or steel cabinet)

Give the number of Branch Offices serving under your Department and their location

What is the general condition of the records?

Do you allow research students to use your inactive records? (If the answer is 'yes', indicate under what safeguards?)

How often do department officials use the inactive records? (Indicate number of times a week, month or year).

- 31

-

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- 32 -APPENDIX 7(li)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA DISPOSAL SCHEDULE (FORM A)

Name of Office

Schedule containing particulars of certain classes of archives existing or accumulating in the which are not considered of sufficient value to justify their preservation and which it is proposed should be destroyed.

Signature of Head of Department

Date

Item No. Description of Archives and Covering dates

Order by the Institute's Committee on Archives

Chairman

Member .

Member .

Member ..

Member .

Date ...

- ; > . ? -APPENDIX 7(ill)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA DISPOSAL SCHEDULE (FORM B)

Schedule containg particulars of certain classes or archives existing or accumu­lating in the which are not considered to be of sufficient value to justify their preservation in the Archives of the Institute and which it is proposed should be destroyed after the period specified for each class.

Signature of Head of Department

Date

Item No.

Description of Archives Period of Retention Recommended by the Head of Dept.

Order by the Instituted Committee on Archives

Chairman

Member .

Member .

Member .

Member .

- 34 -APPENDIX 7(iv)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA DISPOSAL SCHEDULE (FORM C)

Schedule containing particulars of certain classes of archives existing or accumulating in the which are considered to be of sufficient value to justify their preservation in the Archives of the Institute and which it is proposed should be transferred to the Archives of the Institute.

Signature of Head of Department

19...

Item No. Description of Archives Order by the Institute's Committee on Archives

The original and one copy of this Form to be submitted to the Archivist.

Chairman

Member .

Member .

Member .

Member .

- 55 -APPENDIX 7(v)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA TRANSFER SCHEDULE (FORM C)

TO: THE ARCHIVIST

The public archives listed hereunder are hereby transferred to you in accordance with the Disposal Instructions from the Institute's Committee on Archives reference dated

Received by

Archivist Head of Department

Date Date

Item No. Volume of Records

Description of Records with Covering Dates

Condition Restrictions on the use of Records

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

ACTION TO BE TAKEN

1. Transfer Register 4. Labelling

2. Temporary Location of Documents 5« Final Disposal

3. Listing 6. Reference in Transfer Register

- 36 -APPENDIX 7(vi)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA RECORD OF PUBLIC ARCHIVES DESTROYED (FORM E)

SCHEDULE CONTAINING PARTICULARS OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF PUBLIC ARCHIVES DESTROYED UPON ORDER OF THE PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ARCHIVES

Signature of Proper Authority-

Head of Depi/Ministry/lnstitution

Date

Item No.

Description of Public Archives Order

Date of Destruction

Mode of Destruction

Remarks

- 57 -APPENDIX 7(vil)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA CLASS LIST OF RECORD GROUP

Description:

! j Class Reference No. Description Covering Dates Remarks

- 38 -APPENDIX Tfviii)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA APPLICATION FORM FOR SEARCHER'S TICKET

I beg to apply for a Searcher's Ticket enabling me to inspect the archives of the National Archives of Uganda.

Name . (In full and underline surname)

Nationality Identity Card/Passport No

Titles . (Mr, Mrs, Miss)

Permanent Address

Temporary Address

Purpose for which access to Records is desired:

Class of records to be examined:

Signature

Date

PART II

RECOMMENDATION

I being a person of recognised position, namely a recommend from personal knowledge as fit and proper person to be allowed free access to the archives as a searcher.

Signature

Address ~

Date

PART I H

FOR OFFICIAL USE

Searcher's Ticket No issued

Signature of Officer in Charge of Search Room

NOTES ON THE COMPLETION OF THE FORM

1. All Applicants should complete Part I of this form 2. They should have Part II completed on their behalf p. A "person of recognised position" will usually be taken to mean one who is

readily indentifiable from a professional or other directory (e.g. a Clerk in Holy Orders, Doctor, Solicitor, School Master, Tutor or Director of Studies).

- 39 -APPENDIX 7(ix)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA SEARCHER'S TICKET

Ticket No

Mr Mrs Miss

of

is allowed to inspect the archives of the National Archives of Uganda

Archivist

Date ,

- 40 -APPENDIX 7(x)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA

AN UNDERTAKING

I

of

hereby undertake to abide by the rules and regulations laid down on the use of

the archives of the National Archives of Uganda and to supply two copies of ray

dissertation or publication to the National Archives of Uganda.

Signature

Date

- Hl -APPENDIX 7(xi)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA APPLICATION FOR A DOCUMENT

NO

NAME SEAT NO. (Block Capitals)

Date

Description of Document

Reference No

ONLY ONE HEM TO BE ORDERED ON THE APPLICATION.

This form to be retained in the Search Room and returned to the searcher on surrender of document.

APPENDIX 7(xii)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA TRACER SLIP

NO

NAME SEAT NO (Blocfc Capitals

Date

Description of Document

Reference No.

LOCATION

Room and shelf or Filing Cabinet No

MOVEMENT

Produced by Date

Returned by Date

- 42 -APPENDIX 7(xiii)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OP UGANDA SHELF TICKET

NO.

NAME (BLOCK CAPITALS)

DATE

DESCRIPTION OP DOCUMENT

Reference No

LOCATION

Room and Shelf of Filing Cabinet No

MOVEMENT

Produced by Date

Returned by Date

- 43 -APPENDIX 7(xiv)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA

Cost of Arras of Uganda

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

To all whom these Presents shall come, Greeting:

I Government Archivist in charge of the

National Archives of Uganda do hereby certify that the annexed copy or repro­

duction, or each of the specified number of annexed copies or reproductions

of each document (listed below) which is preserved in the above named archives,

is a true copy:

Given under my hand and seal this » day

of 19

as authorised by rules governing access to and use of archives.

Official Seal

GOVERNMENT ARCHIVIST

- 44 -AFPENDIX 7(xv)

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF UGANDA HOOM LIST

Repository Group Class Places Shelf No. Division of Shelf

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- 45

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- k6 -APPENDIX Q

DEPOSIT LIBRARY AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE ACT

ACT 3Q

An ACT to make provision for the deposit and preservation of copies of books written or printed and published in Uganda

DATE OF ASSENT: 22nd October, 1969

Date of Commencement: 24th October, I969

BE IT ENACTED by the President and the National Assembly, in this present Parliament assembled, as follows:-

Deposit 1. There is hereby established a Deposit Library and Documen-Library tation Centre which shall be administered by the Institute of Public and Docu- Administration and in which shall be deposited and kept all copies mentation of books as prescribed by this Act and such other books, publications Centre and material which the Ministry may, in his discretion, decide to

deposit and keep.

Delivery 2.(1) The publisher of every book published in Uganda and any of copies person who, being ordinarily resident in Uganda, is the author of a of books book published outside Uganda, shall, etc. (a) within one month after the publication, deliver at his own

expense a copy of the book to the Librarian of the Deposit Library and Documentation Centre, who shall give a receipt for it; and

(b) if written demand is made within three months after publi­cation, deliver, within one month after receipt of that written demand, or if the demand was made before publication, within one month after publication, to the Minister, one copy of the book.

(2) In the case of an encyclopaedia, newspaper, review, magazine or work published in a series of numbers or parts, the written demand made under paragraph (b) of subsection (l) of this section may include all numbers of parts of the work which may be subsequently published.

(3) The copy of the book delivered pursuant to any of the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be a copy of the whole book with all maps and illustrations belonging thereto, finished and coloured in the same manner as the best copies of the book are published, and shall be bound, sewed or stitched together, and on the best paper on which the book is printed.

Offences 3. If any publisher or author fails to comply with any of the provisions of section 2 of this Act, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of one hundred shillings, and the court before which any such publisher or author is convicted

- 47 -

may in addition order the offender to deliver to the Librarian of the Deposit Library and Documentation Centre or to the Minister or to both, as the case may be, a copy of the book in respect of which the conviction is recorded or to pay to such Librarian or to the Minister or to both, as the case may be, the value of such book

Powers of 4. The Minister may, by statutory order, exempt from all or exemption any of the provisions of this Act any specified class of book either

absolute or subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order.

Interpret- 5» In this ACT, unless the context otherwise requires, ation "book" includes every part or division of a book, newspaper, period­

ical, Magazine, review, gazette, pamphlet, sheet of letterpress, sheet of music, map, plan, chart or table separately published, but does not include any second or subsequent edition of a book unless such edition contains additions or alterations either in the letter­press or in the maps, prints or other illustrative material belonging thereto j

"Deposit Library and Documentation Centre" means the Deposit Library and Documentation Centre established by section 1 of this Act.

- 48 -APPENDIX 10

LIST OF DEPARTMENTAL AND SPECIAL LIBRARIES

Uganda Technical College Library

Animal Health Research. Centre, Entebbe

East African Virus Research Institute, Entebbe

Fisheries Department, Entebbe

Geological Survey and Mines Department, Entebbe

Kawanda Agricultural Station, Kampala

Cotton Research Station (Namulonge) Kampala

Uganda Development Corporation Research and Development Unit, Kampala

Lands and Surveys Department, Kampala

Electricity Board R and D Unit, Kampala

Kakira Sugar Works Limited

East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organisation, Jinja

East African Development Bank Kampala

East African Trypanosomiasis Research Organisation, Tororo

Cabinet Library, Office of the President, Kampala

Librars/Documentation Unit, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Statistical Division, Entebbe

Ministry of Justice Library, Kampala

Ministry of Education Library, Kampala

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Film Library, Kampala

- 49

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"AP

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IX 11