By Spy Uganda
Kampala: Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has cleared the upcoming Nyege-Nyege concert to happen as earlier planned.
The development follows a meeting held on Wednesday morning at her office with the organizers and the concerned government ministries to discuss matters relating to the hosting of the Nyege Nyege annual Music festival.
According to the meeting, the much-anticipated event will take place within the guidelines to be developed by the ministry of ethics and integrity.
Nabbanja indicated that it was too late to cancel the international event since thousands of international tourists have made the necessary payments for visas while some have jetted into the country.
Among the guidelines that were discussed in the meeting included security ensuring that no immoral acts take place at the festival which is scheduled for 15th to 18th September at Itanda Falls, Jinja.
According to Hon Akello Rose Lilly, the Minister of State for ethics and integrity, the event organizers have been directed to ensure that no underage children are allowed to attend.
The ministry also wants police to monitor and ensure that all eventgoers are not indecently dressed and that no immoral acts are allowed at the event among other strict guidelines yet to be released by the concerned stakeholders.
The Speaker of parliament Anita Among yesterday directed that the immoral event be cancelled noting that parliament “will not permit the event to take place.”
“We are discussing the morality of this nation; we are discussing our kids. You want to advance tourism at the expense of our kids, right? We won’t permit this activity to take place.” Among declared in Parliament yesterday.
The festival that is scheduled for Thursday, 15 September 2022 for three days at Itanda Falls at the Source of the Nile in Jinja district was first held in 2013.
Hon. Martin Mugarra, the Minister of State for Tourism, defended Nyege Nyege noting that it is a huge tourism opportunity that has so far attracted over 8,000 tourists flying into Uganda and has bought entry tickets and booked hotels.
“As we speak now, around 8,000 foreigners have already paid tickets and have booked to come and sleep in this country,” he said. He agreed that there was a need to set conditions for the event to happen”. he noted.
