By Our Staff Reporter

MBALE,UGANDA — Tuesday, 8 September 2026.
A week-long calendar of games, exhibitions, cultural showcases and a presidential send-off has been unveiled as Mbale City readies itself to host this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations, with organisers billing the event as a turning point for tourism in the Elgon sub-region.

Held under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” the national celebrations will climax on September 27 at Mbale Secondary School grounds, with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni expected to preside as chief guest.

Details of the programme were unveiled at a media launch held at Mbale City headquarters, where officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities joined city leadership to brief journalists on preparations, barely a week after the national launch at the Kampala Marriott Hotel.

A month-long build-up, not a single day
Ministry official Joseph Sebunya told journalists that the celebration was designed to run well beyond a single day of festivities, describing it as a deliberate activation of tourism products across the Elgon sub-region.

He said Mbale and its surrounding districts hold a wealth of largely untapped attractions — among them the city’s newly opened zoo, Mount Elgon and Sipi Falls — and that showcasing them was expected to unlock economic opportunity, create jobs and generate revenue for host communities.

“Tourism is not only about leisure; it is also an avenue for creating jobs and generating revenue,” Sebunya said, noting that the ministry has run similar activations in Kalangala, Jinja, Kasese and Arua in past years, with this year’s edition turning the spotlight on Mount Elgon and the wider Masaba region.

He urged the media to play an active role in publicising tourism sites and activities in the lead-up to September 27, describing the coverage as central to marketing Mbale to the rest of Uganda and beyond.

Packed calendar ahead of the main event
September 26 will bring National Cleaning Day activities alongside community games, before the main event on September 27, which will open with a route march from the Cricket Grounds to Mbale SSS grounds.

Organisers are also working to formalise plans to upgrade the Children’s Park in Mbale City into a fully-fledged tourism and recreational site a legacy project intended to outlast the celebrations themselves. A follow-up exploration activity, including a beer-run competition through Mbale City, is planned for September 28, bringing together teams from Kampala and the host region.

City leadership pledges a clean, secure welcome
Mbale City Mayor Joyce Matuka Kidulu welcomed the honour of hosting the national event, describing it as an opportunity for the wider Elgon sub-region not Mbale City alone to showcase its culture, landscapes and hospitality to the world. She called for collaboration between government, the private sector, hoteliers and communities to ensure visitors are met with clean streets, reliable infrastructure and warm hospitality, and pressed the region’s hotel industry to prepare to receive the surge of visitors expected during the celebrations.

She singled out the Imbalu circumcision tradition as a unique cultural asset that sets the region apart, and urged residents to embrace the moment to tell their own story rather than leave it to outsiders.

George William Wopuwa, the Resident City Commissioner of Mbale City, assured journalists that security agencies were fully mobilised for the celebrations. He said unregulated Kadodi processions would not be permitted in the city during the event, and instead called on the media to focus on publicity that promotes the region’s tourism potential.

Free concert to close out celebrations
The official day on September 27 will open with proceedings led by the President in the morning, before giving way to a free public concert in the evening headlined by Spice Diana, alongside performers including Fik Fameica, Vinka and DJ Suna Ben, with gospel acts such as Pastor Wilson Bugembe also expected to join the line-up.

Organisers stressed that the bulk of performers will be drawn from artists based in the Elgon sub-region itself.
Officials say the celebrations are expected to draw hundreds of visitors from Kampala and beyond into Mbale for the week, with spending on accommodation, food, transport and local services expected to circulate directly through the regional economy.

Residents and stakeholders across the Elgon sub-region have been urged to mark their calendars for September 27 at Mbale SS Grounds, with organisers describing entry to all events as free of charge.