Pre 26th Coronation Anniversary celebrations last weekend, Dr. King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV launched the maiden ‘’Ekyooto Ha Mpango’’ annual cultural and tourism festival so as amplify and promote domestic tourism in the ‘’Jewel of the Pearl’’ months down the road since the elevation to FortPortal city as this is all aimed at diversifying the Kingdom’s tourism, create more jobs, improve community livelihoods, fight poverty among many according his Vision 2045 development agenda.
The maiden Ekyooto Ha Mpango Cultural Tourism Festival
With the inaugural event bells ringing closer to November 2021, the Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival is a cultural festival showcasing Tooro Kingdom’s rich history and cultural heritage; exhibiting innovations that emanate from the wider Rwenzori region, marketing businesses and investment opportunities in the region and providing a platform to engage in inclusive conversations on the integration of culture and communities in the Tourism business ecosystem. The festival features include; Royal Tour as Royals from different Kingdoms visit key Tourism destinations in the Tooro region, Business clinics with a focus on Tourism and related businesses aimed at advancing small businesses through incubation hubs to ensure that the knowledge imparted during the clinics is practiced in a supervised space for months, Sporting activities including a boat regatta and marathon as these will not only entertain and keep participants fit but also showcase the beauty of natural geographic features in the region not forgetting Ekyooto Ha Mpango Expo where businesses that went through the business clinics exhibit their goods and services to the world plus the Ekyooto Ha Mpango Virtual concert, a celebration of art in form of music, craft, fashion, comedy, poetry, drama, dance and more.
“If Uganda is the Pearl of Africa, then Tooro Kingdom is the jewel of the pearl” This was King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV closing remark as he launched the Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival as the first action point under “Tooro Kingdom’s Vision 2045.”
Covid – 19 Standard Operating Procedures during the Festival
Owing to the prevalent pandemic, the festival will be hybrid, with limited physical elements and major virtual features to ensure that the King’s subjects from all over the world can be part of the festivities ahead of the Kingdom’s celebration of 200 years of existence next year.
In his speech, His Majesty Dr .Oyo praised the beauty of Tooro Kingdom, Tooro is a very beautiful Kingdom gifted by Nature. The Kingdom is blessed with abundant wildlife, rare birds, breathtaking landscapes, waterfalls and caves, the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains, scenic crater lakes, impenetrable forests, incredible weather, a unique culture and very hospitable people.
The 4-day Festival which will run from 11th to 14th November 2021 under the theme “HARNESSING THE POWER OF YOUR CULTURE” will promote domestic tourism and Tooro Kingdom as the Tourism Hub of Uganda, with the host as Fort Portal, the Tourism city.
Youth are encouraged to apply and participate in the festival in a bid to create more sustainable income generating ventures and break the vicious cycle of poverty, hence reducing perpetual unemployment and poverty in Tooro region.
The Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival is sponsored by UNDP, Ministry of Tourism Wildlife & Antiquities, NBS Television, Tooro Tourism, Heritage and Conservation Board, Tooro Kingdom and organized by Talent Africa Group.
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