Nyege Nyege Festival

The Ugandan Nyege Nyege Festival is a famous annual music festival whose main agenda is to showcase the diverse traditional culture in Uganda, especially electronic music. The festival runs for multiple days along the River Nile in the town of Jinja.

Again, the festival was first staged in 2015 by Derek Degru and Arten Dilsizian, the founders of Nyege Nyege. The festival, which happens annually, did not take place for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic but is slated to take place from the 15th to 18th of September.

Besides, the Festival had elicited controversies since its inception, with many people from Uganda, especially religious leaders condemning the event on the grounds of morality. The leaders have also affiliated the event with the LGBTQ community, saying that it will compromise the moral grounds of Ugandan citizens.

On Tuesday, 6th September 2022, in the Ugandan parliament, there was a debate on whether to cancel the festival. Anita Among, the Speaker of the House of Parliament in Uganda, said they will not permit the event to occur.

She argued that the event should be banned to avoid corrupting the kids. “You want to advance tourism at the expense of our kids? We will not permit it to take place,” she said.

On the other hand, Tororo Member of Parliament Hon Sarah Opendi said that the event is a breeding ground for immoral behaviors like homosexuality. She was supported by the Member of Parliament for Bugabula South, Hon. Maurice Kibalya, on his account of having attended the festival, said that the country’s morals should not be sacrificed because of tourism.

Additionally, the Minister of State for Tourism, Martin Mugarra, said that the festival boosts tourism and cannot be banned since many foreigners have already bought their tickets.

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Festival Not Banned

On Wednesday 7th, the Ugandan national broadcaster, The Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), announced that Hon. Robina Nabbanja, the Ugandan Prime Minister, had approved the event.

Besides, Nyege Nyege organizers had held a consultative meeting with the Prime Minister and had reached an agreement that the event would adhere to strict guidelines. The stakeholders also promised to do what has to be done to maintain order during the festival.

The festival tickets are available at MOOKH.COM and are being sold at Ksh. 5500. There will be over 300 artists at the festival. The artist lineup includes East African-based and international artists. Boutross, Benzema, and SSaru from Kenya, Boogizm and Sockethead from the United Kingdom, Pallaso and Cindy Sanyu from Uganda, and many more

More so, the festival has changed its former grounds and will be hosted at Itanda Falls along the River Nile in Jinja. The event will offer different activities, including rafting, bungee jumping, and cruises on the river. For accommodation, there will be camping and lodges, offering spas, yoga classes, and hot showers.

The event organizers also said they are committed to sustainable practices such as planting bamboo and using them to build structures on the site.