Karenga set to host week-long Karamoja Cultural Festival

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Preparations are well underway for the 9th edition of the Karamoja Cultural Gala, scheduled to take place in Karenga district.

The week-long cultural event will commence on September 2 and conclude on September 7, 2024, at Napeikori village, which is located two kilometres from Karenga town council.

The district chairperson, Felix Lokyale, said the fest will showcase the diversity in the culture of N’apore/Ny’angia who are the host of this edition.

“The cultural event aims to unite the sub-region,” Lokyale said, adding that the region has experienced chronic conflicts for decades, which is why the communities are working towards unity.

Joyous Karenga woman MP Rose Akello Lilly dancing during last year (2023) Karamoja Cultural Festival in Napak district. (Photo by Olandason Wanyama)

The initiative will also provide an opportunity for the people who will visit Karamoja to have the feel of the sub-region now enjoying relative peace, Lokyale said.

He added that they are also expecting people from Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia to grace the event.

Robert Obonyo, the district’s publicity secretary, said the cultural week will be celebrated under the theme "Celebrating cultural diversity, peace, co-existence, and embracing tourism for sustainable development."

“We aim to promote co-existence in the sub-region and reap benefits,” Obonyo said, adding that Karamoja is rich with potential for tourism and mining.

The event will be concluded with a tour of Kidepo National Game Park and a cultural ambassadors’ night.

Obonyo said they expect more than 60,000 visitors, among them, tourists who have shown interest to attend the cultural event.