Nyege Nyege Festival 2019. Photo: Courtesy.
“With all the insane pictures and videos coming out of the Nyege Nyege Festival shouldn’t we resurrect the agitation to stop this madness?”
Mr Alex Mutagubya, lead pastor, The City Church – Luzira, made the above remarks on Sunday as various sources took to social media to share photos and videos of proceedings at this year’s edition of the Nyege Nyege Festival that happened at Nile Discovery Beach, Njeru in Buikwe District.
The Pastor condemned the event for its “moral decadence”, urging relevant state holders to take action.
“Where is minister Simon Lokodo?” he asked. “I can’t bring myself to publish the moral insanity in the videos.”
The annual four-day party brings together artists from across Africa to entertain revelers, and has been held for the last four years. In 2018 it reportedly attracted over 3,000 tourists. The festival showcased art, culture, film, fashion, style, photography, music and food.
According to reports, the festival’s name evokes different meanings among East African countries. In Uganda, Nyege refers to the uncontrollable urge to dance. However, the word reportedly also has sexual connotations among Swahili speakers.
Following imagery circulating on social media, Pastor Sarah Sseggane Luyima of Omega Healing Centre said the festival is “absolutely disturbing.”
Prominent anti-gay activist Pastor Martin Ssempa on twitter said he is bothered by the silence of cultural leaders.
“Slowly by slowly the LGBT is eating up our youth… greatly driven by Euro-American special agents. This Nyege Nyege Fest is just that…what bothers me is why our cultural leaders like @cpmayiga ( Charles Peter Mayiga) @BugandaOfficial @Bunyoro_Kitara @EmpagizaBunyoro are totally quiet.”
Last year, government reinstated this festival banned by the country’s ethics minister as an orgy of homosexuality, nudity and drugs akin to “devil worship”.
“The person organizing this event is a foreigner and his stay in Uganda will be affected by this event – Let foreigners not come to Uganda for sex. If you are coming for sexual reasons worse still homosexuality and LGBTQ, stay away,” Lokodo said then, citing referral to religious leaders for “credible” evidence.
Last Wednesday, Fr Lokodo told media reporters the festival will be closely monitored by Police, the army and other sister security agencies to ensure that nothing “goes out of hand.”
Was he able to achieve this?
In a statement, Police said there is a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between security agencies and organizers of the Nyege Nyege festival. Therein, Police planned to prohibit any use of drugs at the venue, acts of homosexuality, open sex and anything else considered immoral “because the Ugandan culture is a conservative one.”
