By Our Reporter
A joint planning meeting between the government and the private sector was held yesterday at the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity ahead of the 8th edition of the Nyege Nyege festival that is happening from 9th to 12th November in Jinja City.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity – Hon. Rose Lilly Akello – and attended by representatives from Uganda Breweries Limited – the festival’s main sponsor, Nyege Nyege, Talent Africa, Busoga Kingdom, Uganda Police, the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and others.
According to a source in attendance, the stakeholders conducted a review of last year’s festival – covering areas such as security and ethical concerns – before discussing plans to improve this year’s edition of the festival, which is going to be held on almost 50 acres of land covering the Source of the Nile; Jinja Showgrounds; Jinja Golf Course and; Source Gardens in Jinja City.
The source added that the stakeholders formed a “National Organizing Committee” for the festival – which will have its first meeting next week to co-organise, amplify and increase the scale of the festival’s already existing positive socio-economic impact on Ugandans.
Nyege Nyege attracts thousands of Ugandans and non-Ugandans to the shores of the River Nile every year – marketing the country as a party and hospitality destination while exposing tourists to many of the other travel destinations available in the country.
According to the organisers, in 2019, the festival attracted approximately 13,000 attendees – with 4,000 coming from outside Uganda and in 2022, approximately 15,000 people attended the festival – with 10,000 Ugandans, 3,000 Kenyans and 2,000 international guests.
In addition to the fees paid to the government and the city in fees, permits and taxes, the festival directly benefits hundreds of hotels, bed and breakfasts and camps within Jinja and its vicinities as well as the locals who are employed either directly or indirectly as parking attendants, accredited guides, transporters (Boda Bodas and car hire), those supplying both raw and cooked food and so on.