Uganda: Nyege Nyege will take place despite another govt attempt to ban fest

The festival, which will take place from 15 September to 18 September on the shores of the River Nile in Jinja, was the subject of a heated debate in the Ugandan Parliament on Tuesday, with some MPs claiming that it is a breeding ground for immorality and homosexuality. This led to its ban by house speaker Anita Among.

However, Uganda’s Tourism Minister Martin Mugarra opposed the ban, arguing that the festival is “a hub of tourism with more than 8 000 foreign tourists having already booked tickets to attend the event.”

News that the ban has been overturned should come as good news to thousands of festivalgoers who have made Nyege Nyege the go-to musical and entertainment event since its inception in 2015.

According to local media, Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja approved the festival after reaching an agreement with the organisers and other stakeholders, as long as it takes place under strict guidelines that would be issued by the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity.

This is not the first time that Ugandan politicians have attempted to get the festival cancelled. In 2018, the country’s former ethics minister, the late Simon Lokodo, banned the event describing it as “an orgy of homosexuality, nudity and drugs”. He was, however, forced to overturn the order barely a day later after receiving backlash on social media.

The four-day party brings together artists from across Africa to entertain about 10 000 revellers from the East African region and around the world. The event is marking its return since 2019 after а break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This year, we will integrate new activities such as rafting, quad bikes rides, workshops and sunset cruises,” Nyege Nyege Festival co-director Derek Debru said. “But most importantly, we want to improve our camping facilities because all the biggest festivals in the world are all camping festivals.”