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Taita Taveta seeks to host next Uganda festival to boost tourism

Performances at the 2024 Uganda Cultural and Culinary Festival that took place at Fort Jesus in Mombasa on April 20, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

By Farhiya Hussein | 22 Apr 2024

Taita Taveta wants to demonstrate its dedication to enhancing Kenya's tourism cooperation with Uganda.

Taita Taveta County would like the next Uganda Cultural and Culinary Festival to take place there as part of efforts to boost tourism and showcase its offerings.

The 2024 festival took place at Fort Jesus in Mombasa on April 20, 2024, organised by the Mombasa Consulate in partnership with the Kenya Coast Tourism Stakeholders.

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The festival saw Ugandan dishes such as luwombo ( meat and mushrooms in groundnut stew, or smoked fish and plain groundnut stew), kalo (millet), and the rolex (a combination of an egg and vegetables wrapped in a chapati, served at the Diani Reef and Ocean Beach resorts in Kwale and Kilifi counties, respectively.

Paul Mukumbya, Uganda's consul-general in Mombasa, explained that the festival aims to highlight the synergy of Kenya and Uganda's tourism offerings.

Mukumbya noted that Uganda is Kenya's second-largest tourism contributor and that the two countries are not competing but rather complementing each other. In 2023, approximately 200,000 tourists from Uganda visited Kenya while around 500,000 Kenyan tourists visited the neighbouring nation.

Performances at the 2024 Uganda Cultural and Culinary Festival that took place at Fort Jesus in Mombasa on April 20, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

Mombasa Tourism executive Mohamed Osman described the Ugandan festival as a celebration of a shared heritage and an opportunity for cultural exchange.

"Mombasa’s partnership with Uganda goes beyond cultural connections; it extends to tourism, trade, and mutual growth. We have a deep-rooted connection, and our tourism industries play a significant role in strengthening these ties.”

Taita Taveta wants to host the next festival to demonstrate its dedication to enhancing tourism cooperation with Uganda, said Gertrude Shuwe, the county executive committee member for trade, tourism, industrialisation and cooperative development.

Shuwe extended investment invitations across industries, acknowledging the vital role that cultural exchanges play in fostering socio-economic progress.

"Under the leadership of our governor, Andrew Mwadime, and in collaboration with tourism partners, we are ready to host over 200 tourism professionals from Uganda’s private and public sectors in Taita Taveta for the Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference in 2026,” she said.

Guests attend the 2024 Uganda Cultural and Culinary Festival that took place at Fort Jesus in Mombasa on April 20, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

Shuwe highlighted Taita Taveta's "stunning landscapes, including the majestic Taita Hill, forests, lakes Chala and Jipe, and the expansive plains of Tsavo National Park, known for its rich wildlife, including the big five."

Additionally, the county boasts over 500 bird species, with three exclusive to it.

“We have the Taita white-eye, Taita thrush, and Taita apalis. There's plenty to explore here,” she said.

The county official further stated that the area offers battlefield tourism, highlighting sites where significant confrontations took place between German and British troops during World War I.

The Mombasa Festival edition delivered an enthralling experience for participants, featuring dances by the acclaimed Ndere Troupe from Uganda, along with comedic performances by Eric Omondi and Uganda's Anne Kansiime.