One of East Africa’s most popular music festivals has been cleared to go ahead after members of parliament tried to ban it for “promoting gays” in the country.
The Nyege Nyege festival will now take place next week but under “strict guidelines,” according to Ugandan Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja, quoted in local media reports.
“The event (Nyege Nyege) will go on but under strict guidelines. It attracts thousands of foreign tourists; we can’t miss out on this opportunity at a time when the country is recovering from the effects of Covid-19,” Nabbanja said at a meeting of stakeholders, including the organizers.
The four-day festival will be the first after a three-year hiatus because of the pandemic.
MPs had Tuesday raised concerns about the festival and its impact on “sexual immorality” in the country and planned to stop it going ahead.
“It’s going to attract all kinds of people from all over the world, bringing all kinds of actions that are unAfrican and non-Ugandan into our community,” lawmaker Sarah Opendi said in parliament, accusing the festival of “recruiting” young people into the LGBT community.
Credit: cnn.com
