Kampala Capital City Authority was in advanced stages of organizing the 7th Kampala City Carnival but these plans were canceled after an order from government to immediately halt the preparations, this website has exclusively learnt.
According to insiders in KCCA, government issued an order to the KCCA management to stop the carnival after concerns that the event might be overrun by politics with the recently found slogan of Bobi Wine who is currently in the US.
Government, according to our source there was no other reason given to KCCA to justify the cancellation of the carnival which was blossoming every year that passed.
While announcing the cancellation KCCA ED Jennifer Musisi said that the money they would have used will be spent on rehabilitating schools and hospitals in the city.
However, our sources says that the money from sponsors would have sustained the carnival without encroaching on the Authorities’ money to deliver services to the people.
Ms Musisi during the carnival last year. The KCCA boss was left cursing after the government ordered her to halt preparations for the carnival
In fact, our source says that Ms Musisi will, starting Monday next week take leave following the directive to stop the carnival.
Our source says that she was frustrated since the carnival which was increasingly becoming popular and successful was her brain child.
The Kampala City Festival (KCF) started in 2012 and had become an Annual Event that brought together the diverse people of Uganda, visitors and Kampala residents in one event to celebrate their City, their rich cultures and Uganda’s Independence irrespective of language, background, social status, creed or political alignment.
The KCF had also become a big business and marketing opportunity for the private sector entities, entertainers and individuals as well as a forum for sensitizing the public on matters of health and the work done by various Government Agencies.
Besides the KCF becoming a mega event that had been ranked as the biggest Street Event in East Africa and among the top five events World-over, the Festival had grown to provide KCCA with an opportunity to raise funds to support ongoing efforts to improve the social services especially among the urban poor in Kampala.
Before the news to cancel the carnival emerged, big companies in the country had confirmed participation by sponsoring the fete.