Prime minister Robinah Nabbanja has given green light to the ‘Nyege Nyege’ music festival. Following a meeting that involved key government officials including the third deputy prime minister, Rukia Nakadama and other ministers of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance, Kampala, Ethics and Integrity, Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs and police Nabbanja said government has now okayed the festival to take place.

The meeting came hours after the parliament chaired by the speaker, Anita Among ordered the cancellation of the three-day festival scheduled to take place at Itanda falls in Jinja on September 15-18, 2022. According to Nabbanja, the meeting reached several resolutions, one of which is to harmonise with parliament to ensure that the festival takes place under strict guidelines. She explains that the guidelines are meant to ensure that people 'behave' in line with the acceptable Ugandan culture. 

"We have tasked the ministry of Ethics and Integrity and that of National Guidance, to together, with the organizers, to come up with guidelines that will be followed during the event. The festival will take place because...some people had already booked tickets and others are in the country, this is an event that attracts thousands of tourists, and cancellation at a short notice was a bit challenging," said Nabbanja.

A press statement issued by Robert Kyomuhendo, the press secretary of Nabbanja, says that the meeting with the event organizers and other stakeholders emphasized that the festival will go on but under strict guidelines. The statement quotes Ally Allibhai, the CEO of Talent Africa that over Shs 700 million has already been injected into preparations for the festival that started in January 2022. 

The statement indicates that an estimated 20,000 revellers from different countries are expected to attend the festival. Yesterday Tuesday, Among said that parliament could not allow the festival to take place because it promotes immorality. The speaker's directive followed a complaint raised by Tororo Woman MP, Sarah Opendi who said that the upcoming ‘Nyege Nyege’ festival promotes immorality. 

Opendi said that while it is okay for people to have fun, the festival poses a challenge to ethics in the country and the recruitment of children in different immoral behaviours. She demanded that government explains to parliament why it approved the festival that threatens the moral fibre of the nation.

 

In response, Rose Lilly Akello, the minister of state for Ethics, said that the directorate of ethics and integrity together with police had summoned the organizers - Talent Africa and Uganda Breweries Limited for a meeting and set conditions for the festival.

Some of the conditions are that children below 18 years were not supposed to attend the festival, no indecent dressing, and immoral activities among others. Nyege Nyege festival was first held in 2013. In 2018, the former minister of Ethics and Integrity, Fr Simon Lokodo suggested its cancellation, saying that the event may compromise national integrity and put Ugandan citizens at risk of deviant sexual behaviour.   

But the government later cleared the festival following a meeting between the organizers and government officials led by the former Internal Affairs minister Maj Gen Jeje Odong. The festival attracted 300 artists from 30 countries who entertained revellers. 

Promoters of the festival argued that it was aimed at developing the culture and music industry in Uganda by creating platforms for upcoming artists. The festival serves as an incubator with an arts residency and community studios, where new productions are showcased and the artists are highlighted for both audiences and musicians.