As the highly-anticipated annual Nyege Nyege Festival approaches, the business communities in Jinja City and Buikwe District are preparing for an economic upswing. This vibrant festival, scheduled to run from November 9 to 13, will be hosted at multiple venues including the Source of the River Nile, the Golf Course (Jinja Club), and the Jinja Agricultural Showground. A mini-survey conducted in Njeru Municipality and Jinja City reveals that lodges, hotels, and other accommodations have been fully booked in anticipation of the event.
For local businesses, Nyege Nyege Festival presents a golden opportunity. Some homeowners in Jinja City and Njeru Municipality have even chosen to rent out their spacious houses during the four-day extravaganza, as their children are away at boarding schools.
Hellen Namutamba, one of the event’s organizers and the Minister for Tourism and Heritage in Busoga Kingdom, highlights the uniqueness of this year’s festival. Busoga, as the host, will have a special stage to showcase local artists and talents to the international community. The festival will also feature local MCs, comedians, and a variety of traditional performances, promoting cultural exchange.
Namutamba further explains that the business community will showcase traditional and heritage items, including food, clothing, and crafts. Lodging facilities have been fully booked well in advance, as many festival-goers plan to explore tourism sites across the country after Nyege Nyege.
Ticket prices for the festival have gradually increased, currently standing at Shs250,000. Rogers Kuboyo, the Jinja City commercial officer, anticipates substantial economic opportunities for both organizers and locals. He highlights that the event will draw visitors from around the world, providing a boost to local businesses, from small food vendors to larger enterprises.
Moreover, the festival is expected to create business opportunities for those with stalls within the venues and even for homeowners who can offer parking spaces on their properties. An influx of vehicles in Jinja City is expected, and locals with available space for parking stand to benefit.
Kuboyo suggests that traders with consumable and non-consumable goods should strategize for the event, as some residents may choose to rent out their homes. The festival’s economic impact will not only extend to businesses but also to local and central governments, as tax revenues are expected to increase.
Brenda Kisakye, the manager of John Speke canteen, foresees doubling her sales during the event and plans to secure additional capital to stock her inventory ahead of the festival.
While the festival has brought economic opportunities to Jinja, the residents of Itanda Village, where the festival was previously held, lament the loss of these financial benefits. During the event, prices of food items, local hens, broilers, and goats significantly increased, allowing residents to make substantial profits. Some even made enough to embark on holy pilgrimages and significant life changes.
The move of Nyege Nyege Festival to the Source of the River Nile has prompted residents in Jinja to prepare by constructing toilets and organizing their properties for parking or tent spaces, a testament to the festival’s potential economic impact. Local restaurants raised food prices, and the transportation sector saw increased earnings due to traffic jams, creating an unprecedented economic boom in the area.
