Iteso unveils Emaali Festival to drive tourism, investment and jobs

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The Iteso Cultural Union has unveiled the Emaali Cultural Festival as part of efforts to promote Teso’s tourism potential, preserve its cultural heritage and position the region as a destination for domestic and international tourists.

The inaugural festival launched last week is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), slated to take place between October 24-25, 2026, at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds under the theme, “Celebrating Heritage and Building the Legacy of the Iteso People.”

Charles Eweku, Minister of Tourism for the Iteso Cultural Union, said the festival is intended to turn cultural heritage into an avenue for tourism, employment and wealth creation while safeguarding traditions for future generations.

“The Emaali Cultural Festival is more than a cultural celebration. It is a strategic effort to activate tourism within the Iteso cluster, showcase our tourism potential at the national level and embrace tourism as a conduit for wealth creation,” Eweku said.

The Iteso Cultural Union has unveiled the Emaali Cultural Festival as part of efforts to promote Teso’s tourism potential. (Photos by Aloysious Kasoma)

He said the festival will showcase Iteso arts, music, cuisine, traditional dances, dressing, language, farming practices and indigenous knowledge passed down through generations.

Eweku explained that “Mali” refers to traditional treasures and wealth, including cattle, land and other valuable assets. Emaali is also associated with traditional songs and dances that express joy, victory and appreciation during important social occasions.

He said the festival has four key objectives: preserving intangible cultural heritage, promoting cultural tourism, empowering young people and strengthening national and cross-border unity.

“We want to preserve the traditional knowledge, norms and practices of the Iteso people for future generations. These include our traditional dances, music, dressing, language and indigenous knowledge systems,” Eweku said.

The festival will also create opportunities for young people, artisans, performers and entrepreneurs to commercialise their creative talents and cultural products.

“The festival will provide a platform for the youth, artisans, performers and local entrepreneurs to commercialise their creative talents and cultural products,” he said.

Eweku said the initiative would promote heritage, agro, educational and sports tourism while strengthening cultural ties among Iteso communities in Uganda and neighbouring Kenya. The organisers expect more than 50,000 people, including government officials, cultural leaders, tourists and delegates from Kenya and South Sudan.

Government backs tourism push

Paul Eseru, the Resident District Commissioner of Amuria and coordinator of RDCs in Teso, said Government would support the festival as part of efforts to leverage tourism for investment and socio-economic transformation.

Eseru, who also serves as an executive member of the Tourism Board under the Iteso Cultural Union, said tourism fits within Government’s broader development priorities under the ATMS framework and the 10-fold growth strategy.

“Government is looking for industries and areas that can attract investment and promote socio-economic development, and tourism is one of the greatest areas we are focusing on. Teso in particular has tremendous potential in tourism development,” Eseru said.

He said central and local governments would work with the cultural institution to showcase tourism sites and investment opportunities across the region.

“We will work hard with all the local governments to showcase the tourism sites and investments in Teso and support the cultural institution to ensure that the Emaali Cultural Festival becomes a success,” he said.

Eseru said the Kampala media launch was intended to give the public and international community a preview of Teso’s cultural attractions before the main event.

“We are bringing the festival here in Kampala first for display so that people in Kampala and the international community can see what happens in Teso. We want them to follow us to Teso and experience exactly what we have showcased here,” he said.

He also called for the preservation of traditional musical instruments, particularly the Akongo, which he said faces the risk of disappearing due to modern music production.

“The risk is that we could lose the original Iteso culture where our traditional instruments were used to compose songs that brought joy and excitement to communities,” Eseru said.

He said discussions were underway to establish a monument dedicated to the Akongo in one of the major towns in Teso.