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This decision was reached during a meeting held on Tuesday at the Office of the Prime Minister, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga.
The meeting was attended by several key government officials, including Government Chief Whip Hamson Obua and Minister of State for Gender and Culture Peace Mutuuzo, as well as Ndere Centre's founder, Stephen Rwangyezi, and Pastor Martin Ssempa, who recently launched a fundraising campaign to save the cultural hub.
President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly been informed about the centre’s financial troubles and personally called Rwangyezi to discuss the situation.
Timeline
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Pastor Ssempa, who has been at the forefront of efforts to raise funds to clear Ndere Cultural Centre’s debts, revealed that the process of acquiring shares will take at least three months.
The acquisition will involve the valuation of the centre's land and determining the government’s stake in the organisation.
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"The government has agreed to step in and help, but the exact share they will acquire depends on the valuation process and negotiations," Ssempa noted after the meeting.
The Ndere Cultural Centre, founded by Stephen Rwangyezi, has been a critical institution in preserving Uganda’s rich cultural heritage.
However, the centre has struggled financially after defaulting on a loan of Shs. 4 billion which accumulated to UGX 10.7 billion, obtained from Uganda Development Bank (UDB) in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the centre’s revenue streams, leaving it unable to service the loan. This financial strain placed the cultural hub at risk of auction, prompting urgent efforts to rescue it.
Pastor Ssempa, who spearheaded a fundraising campaign alongside Mrs. Ritah Nkemba, has been vocal about the importance of saving the cultural centre.
“Our culture is the greatest. It is better than our oil and all the minerals, and if we lose it, we have lost it,” Ssempa stated, emphasizing the centre's role in promoting Uganda’s diverse traditions through music, dance, and storytelling.