KAMPALA: At least three Western countries have warned their nationals to stay away from a music festival in Uganda due to security reasons. According to AFP, the Western governments asked their citizens to avoid the festival over fears it may be the target of an assault. Thousands of people are likely to attend the festival in Jinja, a town on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. The warnings from the US, the UK and Ireland follow several deadly terrorist attacks in Uganda blamed on militant group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, AFP stated.
But Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has sought to assure people and travelers that the festival was safe. The US embassy in Uganda issued an advisory on Thursday asking its staff not to participate in festival and said: “Due to security reasons, we advise US nationals not to attend Nyege Nyege event.”
US, UK Warn Nationals to Avoid Ugandan Festival
Earlier, the British High Commission also advised against “all but essential visit to Jinja”, warning of a “mounting terror threat in the African country, including the targeting of foreign nationals”.
Similarly, the Irish embassy had issued a warning, suggesting its citizens “avoid large gatherings — including cultural festivals in Uganda”. Nyege Nyege, an African music festival, attracts guests from across East Africa and beyond and is particularly popular among Kampala’s large global community.
