Umuganura Festival held
The 2nd edition of the East African Community Arts and Culture Festival (Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni Festival - JAMAFEST) entered day six at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) Nairobi, Kenya, with several activities taking place.
The theme of Day 5 and 6 is: Sensitizing the youth as conveyors of our cultural heritage. A Visual Arts Exhibition continued at the KICC Courtyard with traditional sports and children’s games at the KICC lawns. Various dance performances by cultural troupes from the EAC Partner States continued at the KICC’s Tsavo Ballroom.
The day started on a high gear with JAMAFEST hosting Rwanda’s Umuganura festival at the KICC’s Tsavo Ballroom. The Guest of honour, His Excellency Amb. James Kimonyo, the Rwandese High Commissioner to Kenya, informed JAMAFEST enthusiasts that Umuganura was marked in Rwanda with a public holiday as a tradition of sharing together in unity.
The High Commissioner said that Umuganura was one of the traditions that helped the Rwandese to transform their lives and country. “It is one of the homegrown solutions to the country’s issues. Other grassroots and homegrown initiatives include Gacaca, Umuganda, and Mihigo. It is a tradition of feeding children with milk and millet bread by leaders or elders”, said Amb. Kimonyo.
In keeping with Rwandese tradition, Amb. Kimonyo, symbolically “fed” all present in the ballroom with boiled maize cobs and milk. The Umuganura was marked by various performances by Rwanda artists joined by the Ambassador himself.
An 11-minute documentary on the HIV/AIDS scourge from Uganda by film producer Kasule Douglas crowned the event.
A Contemporary Designers’ Fashion and, Mr and Miss Cultural Integration show by EAC Partner States at the KICC’s Tsavo Ballroom was another highlight of the day. The Festival will climax tomorrow Saturday, 8th August 2015.
The festival website is: jamafest2015.eac.int.