In 1962, Makerere University was the only university in the entire country. Consequently, the brightest minds of the day were found on this hill, either as students or professors.

Gregory Maloba was a natural-born artist with exceptional ability. It was this raw talent that earned him a scholarship to cross borders, leaving his native Kenya to study at Uganda’s prestigious Makerere University.

It was Maloba who created the iconic Independence Monument along Speke Road, which you can see captured in this image.

The core idea behind Maloba’s piece centers on a majestic figure breaking free from what appears to be restrictive bondage, proudly lifting a child into the air. The child raises their hands in a clear, universal sign of liberation.

This child was the young nation of Uganda. Emerging from the heavy wrappings of colonialism, she was finally free to determine her own direction—free and filled with profound hope. This monument was erected in 1962, the very year Uganda gained her independence.

Half a century later, in 2012, Uganda arrived at a monumental milestone—50 years of independence. A Golden Jubilee!

By this time, Makerere was no longer the sole university in the country, and the skill of Ugandan artists had become unmatched, particularly within the world of fine art.

Once again, art was called upon to immortalize a historic milestone. A team of Ugandan artists came together, among them Professor George William Kyeyune, to create a new monument called The Journey at the Kololo Independence Grounds, as seen here.

The most fascinating truth to learn about this monument is that it functions as a direct conceptual ‘continuation’ of Gregory Maloba’s original 1962 masterpiece.

The first figure at the back is a beautiful continuation of the story—it’s the exact same child Maloba’s statue held high fifty years earlier, now grown enough to walk. From there, the figures transition in age moving from childhood, to adolescence, to youth, and finally to full adulthood.

Together, these five figures represent the five decades of history that Uganda had walked through by 2012. It honors times of intense turbulence that ultimately gave way to sustained hope.

The final, leading figure holds the national flag high while looking resolutely toward the horizon—a powerful tribute to Uganda’s future and the enduring faith that she is destined for greatness.

We were deeply honored to spend time with one of the project’s lead visionary artists, Professor George William Kyeyune, at his creative studio in Namungoona.

His brilliance is permanently stamped onto Uganda’s landscape—most notably through the first-of-its-kind bronze statue at the Munyonyo Martyrs’ Shrine, a masterpiece that earned him a personal audience with Pope Francis in 2018.

Through these sculptures, our Independence Journey is immortalized. Generations to come will look to them, and tap directly into our shared history—drawing inspiration from the past to boldly map out Uganda’s future.