The rehabilitation of the Uganda National Cultural Center (UNCC) popularly known as the National Theatre are in high gear ahead of the Jumiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni Festival (JAMAFEST).
Checking on the progress of the ongoing works at the theatre on Thursday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender and Labour and Social Development Pius Bigirimana, gave the management of UNCC just this month to complete all the renovations.
“You have just this month to complete; we want it ready for the Jamafest,” he told UNCC Executive Director Francis Peter Ojede, who took him around the place that is receiving the first facelift since its inception in 1959.
So far, the place has already started getting a fresh look with the exterior undergoing painting. Inside, the old carpets have been removed and the toilets have been dismantled to increase on their numbers. However, the seats will have to wait for more time to be changed.
“All these works will have been completed before the Jamafest festivities. However, the seats will be changed after the event. We’ll just clean them up for the event because we don’t have enough time for removing and installing new seats,” Ojede informed Bigirimana.
He also informed journalists that government had handed Shs3billion to UNCC purposely for the ongoing renovation.
The JAMAFEST is biennial event hosted on a rational basis by each EAC Partner State and this year Uganda is hosting the events under the theme: ‘Culture and creative industries: An Engine for unity and employment creation’.
Set for September 7 to September 15, the event is to be hosted at three venues: the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, the National Theatre and at Hotel Africana.
The festival was mooted after the 20th and 23rd meeting of the Council of East African Community (EAC) Ministers held in March and September 2012, respectively, which requested the EAC Secretariat to organise regular EAC Arts and Culture Festival in the EAC States on rotational basis.
The first festival took place in Kigali-Rwanda in February, 2013, while the second festival took place at KICC Nairobi, Kenya between August 2 and 9, 2015.
Among the events expected include Cultural performances, Exhibition, Market place, film festival, comedy and drama, Symposium, Fashion show and Dinner Gala.
