Effective next week starting Wednesday 24th September, the much anticipated first ever Tooro Kingdom’s annual Cultural and Tourism fiesta will be kick-starting off in Fort Portal Tourism city under the theme ‘’Harnessing the Power of your Culture’’.
Organised by Tooro Kingdom under the benchmark of promoting Tooro region’s most prestigious tourism sites and attractions, improve livelihoods, create more employment and business opportunities for the youth among other subjects of the Kingdom, the festival will also set key focus on having the youth get involved in various activities during and post the festival all aimed at making Tooro region a number one tourist spot in destination Uganda. The Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival that is designed to become Africa’s premium cultural tourism festival was launched by King Oyo Nyimba on the eve of his 26th Coronation Anniversary.
Revelers and guests attending this year’s festival will get to enjoy from a line-up of tourist and sizzling entertainment activities including; a boat regatta, cycling expeditions, mini marathon, royal tours as Royals from different Kingdoms visit key Tourism destinations in the region, movie premiere of ‘Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon’ documentary starring Uganda’s kickboxing champion Golola Moses, Ms. Lilly Ajarova and Gold medallist Joshua Cheptegei not forgetting business clinics from the 24th– 28th November with a focus on Tourism and related businesses as participants will learn from experienced facilitators like Laura Kagame of TravelNeza, Amos Wekesa of Great Lakes Safaris, Owek. Joan Kantu of Let’s Go Travel, Justus Koojo of Ultimate Sports, Dennis Aguma of NASE-Africa, Jimmy Otim from Brac, Steve Williams of Kyaninga Lodge and Diary and Daniel Kigozi (Navio) of Navcorp and Zuri Model Farm plus a business expo, training sessions for the youth, as well as a medley of exciting performances during a virtual concert from Tooro region based artistes and Uganda’s top chat music superstars featuring; Janzi Band, Spice Diana, Aziz Azion, Beenie Gunter, Draei Bitsc, Pearl of Africa Stars, Ayesiga Muzamil, Kigambo Araali, Sagio Mhza, Carol Kay, Tony Blackman and more. The festival shall also feature Tourism and Cultural Trade Expo on the 25th and 26th November, Ekyooto high level discussions on the 25th of November, Royal Dinner Gala on the 26th of November with a fashion showcase by SKP featuring Mrs Uganda World Sylvia Namutebi Allibhai, Miss Elite Africa Judith Heard and Miss Uganda Earth Ahlam Ismail (Lamu), Sporting activities on the 27th of November, including a Boat Regatta, Adventure cycling and Marathon, inter- religious thanksgiving service and closing ceremony on the 28th of November and Corporate social responsibility activities including the ‘Pet A Tree’ greening campaign, Save River Mpanga and ‘Clean Up Fort Portal’ campaign.
Addressing the media during a panel of discussion at Fairway Hotel in Kampala on Thursday this week, Mr. Innocent Fred Ejolu – Partnerships, Innovation and Development Solutions Specialist for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) revealed that Ekyooto Ha Mpango has been fully funded by UNDP with the purposes of promoting culture and tourism in the Kingdom and Tooro region as development partners.
Mr. Innocent Fred Ejolu Partnerships, Innovation and Development Solutions Specialist United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
He added that, ‘’UNDP stepped in with the initiative to support tourism all over the Country so as to reboot and resurrect the Covid-19 hard hit tourism industry given the effects that tagged along with the outbreak of the pandemic’’.
He noted that, ‘’UNDP as a development partner came in to offer financial support and promote SME’s in Uganda, and Ekyooto Ha Mpango is one of the tools ,in support of Tooro Kingdom, as the UN agency has a long term vision especially in ensuring the now annual festival dubbed ‘’Ekyooto Ha Mpango’’ gets embraced as a World class tourism products that can attract people and revelers from all across the region, continent and world over as well as centered towards promoting the Green economy interms of nature plus leveraging on the leadership of King Oyo to build a green product’’.
Herman Olimi, the Director for Tooro Tourism, Heritage & Cultural Board highlighted on the importance of the festival in promoting culture to the global level especially that of the Kingdom while it marks exactly 200 years next year.
Herman Olimi, the Director for Tooro Tourism, Heritage & Cultural Board
He noted that, ‘’Culture attracts a lot of functions and commands our daily livelihoods, and therefore, as Tooro Kingdom looks forward to celebrating 200 years in 2022, we look forward to commercializing Batooro culture as a merit of our daily lives. He added, ‘’your culture is your equity to great business partnerships, so there’s need to identify its value and promote, showcase and develop it’’.
Nile Breweries Ltd Connections Manager – Mr John Paul Ssemakula highlighted on the partnership at this years festival while the breweries company looks forward to having lots of their flagship beer brand ‘’Nile special’’ supplied in abundance during Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival so as to bring the monde selection gold medal winning beer product to the people of Tooro as well as revelers and guests from all over Uganda.
Nile Breweries Ltd Connections Manager – Mr John Paul Ssemakula
He added, ‘’the festival will also act as a bridge for socio – economic opportunities, with business forums bringing together various industry players and opportunities in Tooro and the whole Country. This will also be a great opportunity to enable the youth immerse themselves in culture and lay pride in’’.
Talent Africa Group CEO, Mr Aly Allibhai , event organisers of this years festival said the festival will be a quite a hybrid event with some minimal number of guests at the festival while all Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures will be observed inclusive vaccination at PCR tests taken at entry.
Talent Africa Group CEO, Mr. Aly Allibhai
He added, ‘’the festival will air both on NBS TV as partners and on social media, plus guests attending the festival will plunge into discounted accommodation from partner hotels as everyone is welcome.
He also noted that, ‘’Given Talent Africa Group’s over a decade expertise and experience in organising and promoting events, the events management and promotions company has a big vision towards ensuring Ekyooto Ha Mpango turns out the biggest annual cultural and tourism festival in Fort Portal tourism city also aimed at attracting thousands of people while the economy fully reopens early next year’’.
Mrs. Sylvia Namutebi Allibhai – Miss Uganda, World, also hinted on her fashion session on 26th November, where she will be showcasing Tooro fashion and fabrics.
Mrs. Sylvia Namutebi Allibhai Miss Uganda, World
She said, ‘’to be a part of this year’s festival is such a great opportunity’’. She added, ‘’fashion through elements adds a lot to our African culture as it represents us all over the World.
Daniel Kayongo, Brand Manager for Plascon, also said, ‘’Given our partnership with Tooro Kingdom for the past 8 years and more ahead, we believe culture has a big role to play in our society. As Plascon, we felt it’s important to bring together upto 3,000 painters that we have trained and painted with Plascon to show to the World what we can do’’.
Mr Daniel Kayongo Brand Manager Plascon
He added, ‘’we will have a painters training session both during and post the festival for the painters world.
Mr Joe Kigozi, Chief Strategy Officer at Next Media Services, revealed that their partnership at the Festival will be entirely streaming live the event through the days it happens plus also provide a platform of the movie premiere.
Mr Joe Kigozi, Chief Strategy Officer at Next Media Services
He noted, ‘’Events like Ekyooto Ha Mpango awaken our culture and Tourism as a whole, and as NXT media, we guarantee support to such events as we believe culture is a very significant aspect in our daily lives’’.
He concluded that, ‘’through some of our platforms and programs like the NBS travel show, we’ve managed to take our cameras to every corner of Uganda unearthing the untapped tourism sites and attractions Uganda is well endowed with’’
Pearl Of Africa star, Kigambo Araali performing at Fairway Hotel on Thursday ahead of the Ekyooto Ha Mpango Panel of discussions.
Besides being a gateway to the snow-capped glaciated Mt. Rwenzori with Margherita peak as the highest peak on Mount Stanley with an elevation measuring 16,795 feet (5,119 m) also the third highest in Africa, Fort Port Portal Tourism city and Tooro region atlarge is well endowed with upto 56 crater lakes, the beautiful historical Tooro Kingdom Palace – also known as Karuziika Palace overlooking the catchy Fort portal town on Karuzika hill built by the Batooro in the in the early 1960’s with a unique architectural design, the historical Bachwezi footprints of ‘’Amabeere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves, Kibale forest national park – one of Uganda’s most magnificent rain forests famously known for the chimpanzees and 12 other primate species situated in the heart of Tooro Kingdom popularly refered to as the primate capital of the world with a recorded number of 372 bird species, Lake Kyaninga located just near Kyaninga lodge, Tooro Botanical Gardens popularly known as a center of excellence in growing, maintaining and displaying living collections of the Albertine-rift as it also includes plants for conservation, scientific research and education, horticultural, medicinal, culinary, aesthetic and recreational purposes, Bigodi wetland sanctuary – a perfect spot for bird watchers with an extensive array of biodiversity which includes several primates’ species and a recorded number of over 200 bird species including Hornbills, Turacos, Parrots, Cranes, Kingfishers and the common one – the Great Blue Turaco not forgetting Tooro region also houses Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve which also serves as home to the Sempaya male and female hot springs tucked away approximately about 70km from Fort Portal tourism city located in the Semuliki national park in Ntandi town council in the western district of Bundibugyo with key wildlife species including; elephants, buffaloes, Uganda Kob, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog, and primates such as vervet monkeys, red-tailed and black and white colobus monkeys plus many more. Visitors to this reserve can also get to experience primate walks, nature walks, game drives and community walks to the nearby villages of Ntoroko.
Due to the existence of the Covid- 19 pandemic, the festival will be live on NBS TV, with limited physical elements and major virtual features to ensure people from all over the world can take part in the festivities ahead of the Kingdom’s celebration of 200 years of existence next year.
The Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival is sponsored by UNDP in partnership with Tooro Kingdom, The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Tourism Board, NBS, Capital FM, Talent Africa Group, Nile Breweries Limited, Tooro Tourism, Heritage and Conservation Board, National Forestry Authority, KRC, Plascon, Movit, Microfinance Support Centre, BRAC, Uganda Lodges, Queen Mother Best Foundation, House of Deejays, Ultimate Group and Pet-A-Tree.
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