After backlash from Ugandans regarding the manner in which parliament granted time to discuss Nyege Nyege festival which is set to take place next week at Itanda falls in Jinja, government has shot at the ban calling it uncalled for.
Reacting from a matter of national importance raised by Tororo woman MP and former Junior Health Minister Sarah Opendi, speaker Anita Among vowed not to allow such an event take place in the name of protecting their children and guarding the moral codes of this country.
Speaker @AnitahAmong on Nyege Nyege:
We are talking about morality of this country; we are talking about our children. You are trying to promote tourism at the expense of our children? We are not going to allow this function to take part. #PlenaryUg pic.twitter.com/lrHJud9mjv
— Parliament of Uganda (@Parliament_Ug) September 6, 2022
This caused a lot of mixed reactions from Ugandans especially on social media who say parliament has a lot of issues to discuss at hand than concentrating on Nyege Nyege festival that has been happening for over five years. The event attract thousands of foreign tourists and it’s believed the tickets to the event are almost sold out.
Communicating government’s position on Nyege Nyege as prime Minister convened a meeting at her office, Ofwono Opondo says parliament should have considered how the 2018 Nyege Nyege festival was handled than the house turning into a law enforcement organ.
But surely @Parliament_Ug and @AnitahAmong could have done better by referring to how #NyegeNyege 2018 was handled successfully without causing this unnecessary controversy. Please don't turn parliament into a law enforcement organ. https://t.co/Z6YqF0iJdA
— Ofwono Opondo P'Odel (@OfwonoOpondo) September 6, 2022
Nyege Nyege has faced a lot of criticism over the years and attempts to ban it has faced still resistance both from several government officials and revelers who throng the event every times it’s staged in Jinja.
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