The lowest income generating museum in the city will be outsourced for the upcoming Ethiopian Millennium. With facilities in a deteriorated state, it is hoped that new responsibility will breathe fresh life into a monument that houses historical materials meant to detail the transformation of the nation's capital into its current state.

The Addis Abeba City Cabinet made a decision to outsource the Addis Abeba Museum to Mulugeta Tsedeke.

Approving the proposal that Mulugeta presented to it, the Cabinet passed the decision to award the institution located on the corner of Meskel Square and Africa Avenue. Although the original decision was passed a week ago, the issue was re-tabled because the Mayor of Addis Abeba, Berhane Deressa, was out of town. Final approval was passed on Friday, April 27, 2007.

With the decision finalised, sources close to the situation told Fortune that the two parties are now left with signing the official contract and the handing over the property. The amount that Mulugeta is to pay for the space and the duration of the contract has yet to be finalised with the city's Tourism Commission.

The Addis Abeba Museum was established in October 1986 on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the foundation of Addis Abeba as the capital of Ethiopia.

The object of its establishment was to collect and display the heritages that depict the development of the city since its foundation. The Museum is housed in one of the oldest buildings of the city that once belonged to a landlord during the reign of Emperor Menilik II, Ras Birru Woldetsadik.

The Museum has eight sections, each department exhibiting materials of different stages of the development of the city. At Finfine Hall, photographs depict the progress of the city while Adwa Hall exhibits weapons used during the battle of Adwa.

The Museum also offers a restaurant and gallery that have been run by Tsigehanna Desta since 2002. Tsigehanna rented and worked in the restaurant and gallery until April 13, 2007, when she received a letter from the he city's Tourism Commission telling her that her services would no longer be required.

Tsigehanna, displeased with the decision, insisted that her contract be renewed or, at least a tender be floated and the restaurant and gallery be awarded to the winner.

Ayalew Sisay (PhD), manager of the Addis Abeba Tourism Commission, declined to comment on the situation, claiming that his place was simply to execute directives coming from higher levels of the City Administration.

Mulugeta, long time resident of London and owner of Ice Blue Restaurant located on Africa Avenue, proposed to work in collaboration with the Heritage Study and Protection Authority.

"He wants to maintain the heritage status of the building and the Museum," said a source close to Mulugeta. "He is planning to rent and borrow additional exhibits from individuals to increase the display to attract additional visitors for the Millennium."

The compound and building of the Museum need renovations, currently in a deteriorated state.

Sources at the Commission told Fortune that it is the lowest income generating Museum in the city.

There are nine museums in Addis Abeba including Entoto, Zoological Natural History, National and Beata Museums.

Fortune's repeated attempts to get a comment on the situation from Mulugeta were declined.