for the love of kampala: 500,000 people are expected to pour onto the streets of Kampala this Sunday in the annual KCCA Festival. Isaac Ssejjombwe guides you on what to expect at the event
The Kampala City Festival is on this Sunday. Now it’s third year, the festival that gets bigger and better will have six massive entertainment stages. The main stage and biggest of them all will be at Railway Grounds. There is something for everyone from the little ones to the happy go-lucky-fellows.
The Constitutional Square will be transformed into a children’s play area. Even those with staunch religious beliefs that keep them out of festivals have this time been catered for. For Gospel music lovers, there will be a Christian stage at Sheraton Gardens. There will also be a Muslim stage at the Kampala Serena Hotel’s lower gardens.
Telecom operators MTN and Airtel will have their stages at Dustar Street and National Theatre respectively. Ruparelia Group will also have a tent on Jinja Road near one of their establishments, Victoria University.
According to KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi, this year’s festival is expected to attract over 500,000 people up from 300,000 people last year.
Themed For The Love Of Kampala, the festival will have over 200 activities that showcase business, fashion, art and culture, entertainment, technology and industry.
At the launch of the fete recently, Musisi said the festival, in its typical fashion, will feature world class floats, spectacular costumes, sumptuous local and foreign cuisines, a thrilling display of fireworks and an incredible street parade with dancers and mascots.
The performers
The musicians slated to perform at the festival were unveiled by Musisi at the authority’s head office in Kampala last Tuesday. They include Jose Chameleone, Bobi Wine, Radio & Weasel, Sheebah and Pallaso, Irene Ntale, Cindy, Judith Babirye, Haruna Mubiru, and a Matali dance group led by Suleiman Muwangala will entertain revellers. Others are Mun G, Pr Wilson Bugembe, Ronald Mayinja, Judith Babirye, Watoto Children’s Choir, Iryn Namubiru, Fille, Peter Miles, Coco Finger, Dr Hilderman, Gravity, Yung Mulo, Mesach Semakula, Eddy Kenzo plus comedians Salvado, Dolibondo, MC Kapale and Mendo Sevo.
“I’m very excited to be one of the artistes to perform at this year’s festival,” singer Irene Ntale said at the press conference. Chameleone said he was happy to meet the city ED. “I have always seen her on TV,” he said.
The fest starts at 9am from Kololo airstrip and proceeds to Kampala Road. Entrance is free of charge as it has been bankrolled by corporations such as Uganda Breweries that sunk in Shs150m plus others such as MTN, Ruparelia Group, Airtel and Huawei with sponsorship packages of Shs100m each. Musisi announced during a press conference last week that the festival had so far received sponsorship to the tune of Shs800m. Other sponsors include Roofings, Mukwano and Total.
