Anne Kansiime (2nd right) with fans. She was one of the popular attractions at the festival. Photos | Andrew Kaggwa
Listening to local media will always make it look like the only art Uganda exports is music. But the past five days in the coastal regions of Kenya proved that Uganda exports more than music. It was the inaugural Uganda Festival held in three regions; Mombasa; Diani, Malindi and Vipingo, an over 100 acre gated community on Mombasa Road and the Mombasa mainland.
The festival, whose aim is to promote Uganda to people in the coastal areas, comes from an initiative birthed in 2022 by the coastal governments of Uganda and Mombasa.
The vision, according to the Uganda Consul General in Mombasa, Ambassador Paul Mukumbya, was to work with Mombasa instead of trying to compete with them. He says much as competition is healthy, both Uganda and Mombasa have their strengths that can be exploited to benefit both countries.
“For instance, the white sand beaches are in Mombasa are magical,” said the ambassador.
The four-day festival was held in four different counties of the coast region, with each of them representing a unique group of visitors that the Ugandan consulate is trying to attract to the Pearl of Africa.