The second annual Elgon Festival is underway in Mbale Uganda. The event is one of the biggest gatherings brought by other communities leaving around Mt. Elgon featuring 9 tribes among them are Samia, Teso, Bukusu and Elgon Maasai of both Kenya and Uganda.
The event is modeled on the Elgon Zone circuit categorized by Uganda tourist board.
Among the activities underway here are Street Cultural parade, Cultural competing, featuring mainly food festival, cultural expo, Bull fighting and music parade.
Speaking to the crowd last night, Prof. Bonaventure Kere, who is the chief guest, expressed his happiness saying that the event has managed to excite the desire to explore roots of the communities living around Mt. Elgon.
Organizers of the event led by Priscilla Mung’oma Khainza said that the main purpose of the event is to build cohesion of the people living in the Elgon Zone and contribute toward their economic wellbeing.
On his part, the area MP Hon. Richard Wanda, who doubles up as also the chair of Bugisu Parliamentarians said that the event, being one of the biggest, is important to local tourism.
Patrons in the crowd last night came from as far as Europe.
The cultural chairman in the Inzu Ya Masaaba Mr. Omari Njofu called upon the Kenyans community to keep supporting the event saying that next year’s event is headed to Kenya. He believes that the hosting of the event shall boost local tourism urging Kenyans invest goodwill to make it happen.
West Media is listed as one of the sponsors of the event.
By Kitui Khwa Simiti
