Jamafest

Jamafest is the codename for the EAC Arts and Culture Festival. The Festival is a biennial event hosted on a rotational basis by the EAC Partner States (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda).

Rwanda hosted the first festival in 2013 on the theme 'Fostering the East African Community integration through the cultural industries'. More than five venues across the country hosted events and activities that included a carnival, live musical performances, theatre, arts exhibitions, workshops and symposiums among others.

Furthermore a ‘Jamafest Village of Countries’ was the standout attraction for the eight-day fete. The village provided a platform for the participants from the five Partner States to showcase the best their countries have to offer, hence promoting socio-cultural exchanges among East Africans. The Jamafest Village features a country day for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda; the five EAC Partner States.

The event is envisaged to be held biennially with the primary aim to promote socio-cultural integration through arts and culture by providing a platform to showcase culture as a primary driver of EAC integration and sustainable development.