A guest serves Ugandan food cooked in the traditional style at last year’s Mavuno Yetu. Various East African cuisines are on the menu.
PHOTO BY Abubaker Lubowa
Cultural bonding: It is that time of the year again when East Africans meet to compare cultural notes. Food, dance, dress, music and much more is what to expect as South Sudan comes on board this year. Lawrence Ogwal writes.
Food and drinks, fashion, music and culture is what best describes Mavuno Yetu, an annual event organised by Lake Victoria Serena Hotel in Kigo. Mavuno Yetu, a Swahili word loosely translated as celebration of the Harvest of East Africa, brings together all East African countries to celebrate and share their cultural heritages.
This is the 5th edition of the event due to take place on November 13, and will be headlined by beauty queens from all the East African countries. A few changes have been added on this year’s edition. For the past four years, Arapapa Fashion house run by renowned fashion designer Santa Anzo was handling the event but she has since been replaced by Rapheal Allan Kasule, the proprietor K-Rafael couture.
Crane Traditional performers at last year’s Mavuno Yetu.
Kasule will head the fashion designers, who he will confirm sometime next week. The models and the beauty queens of the different East African countries will showcase outfits from all the designers who will take part in the event.
The general manager of Serena, Kigo hotel, Frankline Nyakudi, says they plan to have South Sudan on board this year. As a new country, they believe it is important that they showcase their cultural diversity as they also get to know more about other East African countries.
Modelling and traditional dances from different countries are some of what revellers can expect
The event also showcases different cuisines, both continental and inland. The executive sous chef of Serena, Nicholas Wambugu, will prepare the Ugandan dishes, leading with the famous Luwombo from Buganda Region. Chefs from other countries will also prepare food from their local menus, while drinks will include local brew like Kwete, Mwenge bigere, malwa, Mukomboti among others. These drinks will be enjoyed with muchomo (roasted meat); and this will be prepared exactly how roadside sellers prepare it.
For the music lovers, performances will come from the usual suspects; Afrigo Band and the Crane Cultural Performers. Tickets to the event go for Shs150,000 per person and Shs250,000 a couple, all tickets include dinner.