Government has banned the Nyege Nyege festival that was slated for September 6. The event is held every September in Jinja and the 4th year.
Ethic and Integrity Minister, Fr. Simon Lokodo told Eagle Online in a telephone interview that government through Ministry of Internal Affair, Chief of Defence Forces, Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, Uganda Police Force had come to a conclusion that the festival possess a national security to government and would therefore, not take place.
“I have just held a meeting with colleagues from National Security Council and we are of a view that Nyege Nyege event brings negative publicity as it comes with drug abuse, LGBT, drinking of unwarranted substances and recruiting our young children into these activities since the event is used as a catchment area”Fr. Lokodo told Eagle Online.
Fr. Lokodo had earlier written to the President and Prime Minister informing him of his ministry’s decision to ban the event.
“I have received credible information from religious leaders, opinion leaders and local authorities that the purpose of the festival, in the past two years, has been compromised to accommodate the celebration and recruitment of young people into homosexuality, and LGBT movement,” Lokodo writes in a letter addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs and Inspector General of Police.
“This letter therefore serves to inform as Minister of Internal Affairs, that the underlying motive beneath this heavily advertised event may compromise the national integrity of our nation and put our citizens at risk of deviant sexual immorality. I urge you to instruct the IGP to stop the event.”