The paper evaluates the concept of public archaeology practices in relation to archaeological work undertaken in Uganda, especially at Sango Bay. The article explores the forms of engagement between academia (ivory tower) and the local community (jua kali) to establish if archaeology was done for, by, and with the communities in Uganda. Three specific objectives guided the paper, namely;) to discuss the concept of community archaeology based on work done at Sango Bay;) to historicise the Ugandan community’s participation in archaeology outside Sango Bay, and) to discuss the importance of community engagement and why the ivory tower relinquished its mandate to the jua kali in archaeology. Using primary data from archaeological surveys, excavation, archival data, field notes, interviews, and modern plant sample collections; and secondary data from documentary reviews, it is clear that the non-professional archaeologists or the jua kali determined the agenda. The results suggest that the Ugandan jua kali participated in archaeological work as either individuals or as part of institutions, such as the Uganda Museum and the Uganda Geological Survey Department. Ugandans prior to the 2020 Sango Bay field work mainly constituted the lower cadres in the archaeological fields serving as interpreters, sieving, trowelling and cooking. University students, especially, from Makerere University formed the bulk of the ivory tower locally in Uganda’s archaeology fieldwork. In conclusion, the nonprofessional archaeologists or jua kali determined the agenda before the full involvement of the ivory tower staff.