UgandaToday: Kampala City Festival 2025: A Long-Awaited Return Marred by a Bizarre VIP Car Stallout
Kampala, Uganda | October 13, 2025 — After a six-year absence since 2019, the Kampala City Festival made a dramatic return to the streets of the capital yesterday, October 12. Organised by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), the event was billed as a celebration of culture, innovation, and sustainability. Yet amidst the colourful parades and musical fanfare, one moment stole headlines: the Prime Minister’s car stalled and had to be physically pushed by her security detail, presumably because it had run out of fuel.
A Festival Back After 4 Years Shy of a Decade
When Jennifer Ssemakula Musisi served as Executive Director of KCCA, the city festival last held inaugural sway in 2015. However from 2019, the idea of a unified urban street celebration faded under the advent of COVID-19 world pandemic, competing priorities and budget constraints. But in 2025, KCCA revived the concept, positioning it as a platform to showcase Kampala’s diversity, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy.
Originally slated for October 5, the festival was pushed to October 12 following consultations with security agencies and to avoid overlap with national Independence Day events. The theme, “Culture, Innovation and Sustainability,” was intended to signal a departure from pure carnival spectacle toward deeper civic expression.
Yesterday, Kampala stretched itself: a procession began on Buganda Road, wound through the city, and ended at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, transformed into festival zones. Traditional dance troupes, school bands, cultural groups, and corporate floats swelled the streets. Exhibitions, food stalls, crafts, fashion shows, and musical acts filled Kololo late into the evening.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja was invited as Guest of Honour; KCCA’s Executive Director, Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki, led the revival push. In her remarks, the Prime Minister pledged a vision of a pothole-free Kampala, promising that ongoing road works would eliminate dust and uneven streets.
Organisers and authorities reported that security and crowd management went relatively smoothly, attributing success to coordination among KCCA, police, and other stakeholders. While attendance was moderate compared to the mega festivals of yore, many vendors, artisans, and small businesses saw the day as a revival of opportunity.
The Bizarre VIP Car Stall
Amid the jubilant atmosphere, one episode threatened to overshadow the festivities. As Prime Minister Nabbanja’s motorcade proceeded toward Kololo, her car suddenly stalled near the procession route. Eyewitnesses say that it simply would not move — and after attempts to restart it failed, members of her security detail were seen physically pushing the vehicle forward until it could restart and rejoin the convoy.
While no official statement has confirmed the cause, insiders suggest the car ran out of fuel. Some political commentators later used the incident as a metaphor: even our leadership’s ride ran dry in the city’s revived celebration. Whether due to oversight or mechanical misadventure, the moment produced waves of amusement and criticism across social media and among spectators alike.
No injuries were reported, and the prime minister’s schedule was not apparently disrupted. But the image of VIPs pushing a stalled car amid drumbeats and dancers was hard to miss.
Other Snags, Small Disruptions
While the car stall was the most dramatic hiccup, the festival was not without minor complications:
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Traffic gridlock and containment delays: With main roads closed for the procession, many motorists were caught unawares, resulting in bottlenecks and frustrated commuters. Some vendors also complained of late set-ups in the exhibition zones.
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Weather drizzle: A light rain in the mid-afternoon forced some outdoor performers to scale back, though most crowds stayed on. Festivalgoers took to dancing under umbrellas or sandbag shelters.
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Power outages / sound glitches: A few stages experienced brief audio blackouts or microphone feedback, interrupting performances momentarily.
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Sanitation queues: With attendance heavier than anticipated in certain zones, portable toilets and water stations faced congestion, leading to complaints from visitors.
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Vendor shortages: Some popular food stalls ran out of supplies hours before nightfall, leaving late-arriving crowds disappointed.
Yet by and large, these challenges were overshadowed by the spirit of the day, and festival organisers expressed confidence that lessons learned would pave the way for smoother editions in future.
Reflections & Looking Ahead
The revival of the Kampala City Festival after a decade signifies more than just a celebration. It is a political and cultural statement: to reforge city identity, to encourage creativity, and to inject energy into Kampala’s urban pulse. But the fiasco of the stalled prime minister’s car also points to the pitfalls of logistical neglect — heedless in planning or execution.
If organizers hope for continuity, they must double down on operational rigor: transport coordination, VIP logistics, contingency fuel reserves, and better infrastructure support must be elevated to the same priority as cultural programming.
In the coming days, many will reflect on the spectacle, the music, the color … and yes, that vision of the VIP car being pushed in full view of the crowds. For better or worse, the 2025 Kampala City Festival has made an unforgettable reentry.
Hashtags: #KampalaCityFestival #ReturnOfKampalaFestival #CultureInnovationSustainability #KampalaOnTheMove #FestivalInKampala #CityFestival2025
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