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Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Preparations are in high gear for the fourth edition of the annual Acholi Cultural Festival, one of the largest cultural get-togethers of the Acholi community to celebrate and showcase their diverse tradition.
This year’s festival organized by the Acholi Cultural Institution will be held at Kaunda playgrounds in Gulu City from December 12 to 14th under the theme “Celebrating and promoting Acholi Heritage for Socio-economic Development”.
The cultural gala inaugurated in 2017 returns after nearly five years of a break following the outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in 2020 that saw the festival being suspended.
Martin Okumu, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Acholi Cultural Institution in charge of Administration and Finance noted that this year’s festival is a revitalization of the annual celebration that seeks to promote Acholi Culture.
Okumu said a total of 40 different cultural troupes consisting of up to 2,000 members from all the districts and urban centres of the Acholi Sub-region have been invited to showcase the diverse cultural dances, songs and drama.
According to Okumu, invitations have been extended to the neighbouring cultural institutions and the luo community in the neighbouring countries to attend the festival which is expected to attract thousands of cultural enthusiasts and tourists.
Okumu says while the festival serves to celebrate the identity of the Acholi people, it will also help to rehabilitate the community that has undergone untold suffering during the two decades of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency.
During the cultural festival, the exhibitors have also lined up various Acholi cuisines, the Acholi regalia and paraphernalia that will be showcased to visitors.
Okello Okuna, the Acholi Cultural Institution Minister of Information and Communication says more than 100 cooperate entities have been invited to participate and support the prestigious annual gala.
The Cultural Institution has also written to the office of President Yoweri Museveni who is expected to grace the revival of the cultural festival.
The cultural institution last held the cultural festival in Kitgum public school playgrounds in Kitgum municipality in December 2019.
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