Colonial aspects of African archaeology include how national archaeology institutions operate, how archaeological research is funded, how archaeological knowledge is produced and disseminated, and who is practicing archaeology. Most edited volumes about African archaeology continue to be dominated by European and North American authors, even several decades after scores of African archaeologists began to research and publish on the continent. Hence, it is essential to ask who and what determines the archaeological research agenda in African countries. This paper presents findings from the quest to historicise the archaeological research agenda in Uganda. It particularly identifies the archaeological research agenda in the last century, examines how it has directed the nature of archaeological research, and questions the role of Ugandan institutions and scholars. Primary and secondary sources in this research include archival research, individual interviews, and literature reviews. The results suggest that despite the well-established Ugandan institutions, including Makerere University, that deal with archaeology and the emergence of Ugandan archaeologists in the 2000s, funding sources continue to dictate the patterns and trends of archaeological research agendas and the impact of practitioners and institutions.