A group of Austrian nationals treat themselves to Ugandan rolex (egg omelette and vegetables wrapped in a chapati) at Nyege Nyege festival. Photo/ Gabriel Buule
Nicolai is a Russian national who traveled to Uganda to attend the eighth edition of Nyege Nyege concert. He says he had anticipated to link up with his American girlfriend he did not name but she never turned up.
She was reportedly influenced by the communication from the state department that cautioned American nationals against attending public events, including the annual festival in Uganda’s Jinja City in the latest terror alert in the East African nation.
“She cancelled her flight but I was already in Uganda. I was going to remain in the hotel room in Entebbe but I read somewhere on social media that there is security so I had to come here,” he said.
At golf course in Jinja where the festival is taking place, there is a handful of revellers on the second day of the four-day controversial festival that has been criticised by different clerics as ‘immoral’.
“Sales not exciting at all, I see less Kenyans,” a lady selling Uganda Waragi explained, arguing that Kenyan nationals often consume “a lot of Uganda Waragi” at Nyege
This publication’s team at Nyege Nyege carried out a quick survey at the venue and learnt that a few foreign nationals were in attendance as compared to the last editions. This, perhaps is because of the UK and the US terrors alerts issued two days to the start of the festival.
Some of the foreign revelers talked to by this reporter indicated that they were from Belgium, France, Austria and Greece, among others.
In what seems like a security precaution, most whites in attendance were seen lurking in a group of at least five individuals and avoiding crowds at the venue.
Uganda’s armed forces comprising of mostly police and the army have heavily deployed at the venue in Jinja, Eastern Uganda following President Museveni’s call for vigilance as revelers enjoy the festival away.