Minister Kabyanga ramps up Rwenzori Theluji Festival for tourism
The State Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Mr Godfrey Kabyanga Baluku, has outlined plans to increase tourism and environmental sustainability at the upcoming Rwenzori Theluji Festival, which is scheduled for July to September 2024.
Kabyanga underlined the critical role media platforms play in highlighting Kasese's tourist potential to a worldwide audience at a stakeholder engagement event conducted at the Hotel Africana in Kampala.
He urged stakeholders to effectively utilise social media for this reason.
The festival is expected to highlight the region as a smart, accredited, and green-certified tourist attraction.
It celebrates the rich, multicultural essence of the Rwenzori Mountains and its surrounding landscapes.
He was enthusiastic about the third edition of the festival, noting that increased interest in serving as its host was a sign of a booming tourism industry in the area.
Kabyanga acknowledged the worries expressed on the lack of water and assured the guests of government efforts to remedy the matter.
“Securing funding from the World Bank underscores the commitment to improving infrastructure, with plans to provide water access to around 3,000 households, ensuring the well-being of local communities,” he said.
Kabyanga praised the stakeholders' joint efforts in advancing the Rwenzori Theluji Festival and boosting tourism in the area during his closing remarks.
He encouraged local traders to prepare as early as possible, saying at the last event, many ran short of items.
Last year, the Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon attracted over 10,000 runners on the streets of Kasese during a wet morning.
During an interview, Benison Balitazara Kule, chairperson of the Kasese Tourism Investors Forum, said there are key issues that they opt to handle as early as possible for the wonderful theluji festival 2024.
"Theluji festival 2023 was regarded as success to the organisers since over 5,000 tourists came to Kasese for the marathon that was sponsored by Nile Breweries, Hima Cement and United Nations Development Programme,’’ Balitazara said.
About Rwenzori Theluji Festival
Theluji is a Swahili word for “snow”. The theme of the Rwenzori-Theluji (snow) festival is “Celebrating diversity around the Rwenzori snow mountain as a potential for sustainable trade and investment development by showcasing real solutions and opportunities".
The festival presents opportunities for sustainable trade and investment development by strategically positioning Kasese as a logistical hub for trade and investment in the Rwenzori region, Uganda as well as eastern DR Congo.
There will be components like Tourism, Investments convention & Expo, Rwenzori Marathon, Cultural Exhibition and Miss Tourism Rwenzori Contest, among others.
