Abavandimwe carnival blends heritage and modern sound in a show of unity

By Gad Masereka

What unfolded at Lugogo Cricket Oval last Saturday was less a concert than a quiet statement of belonging, one expressed through colour, sound and shared memory. From midday, streams of people began arriving, most dressed in white, gradually filling the grounds with a sense of ceremony that felt both deliberate and celebratory. By dusk, the Abavandimwe Carnival had settled into its rhythm, drawing thousands of indigenous Banyarwanda living in Uganda into a collective moment of cultural affirmation.

The afternoon programme leaned firmly into heritage, with traditional dance and drum performances setting the tone. The Inyamibwa Cultural Troupe from Rwanda commanded attention with routines that blended precision and storytelling, drawing applause not just for spectacle but for what many in the audience recognised as familiar history performed in public. Several attendees said the early hours felt like a reminder rather than a display. One reveller remarked that seeing these traditions on such a large stage made them feel visible in a way that everyday life rarely allows.

As evening approached, the atmosphere shifted naturally rather than abruptly. Modern Ugandan music took over without displacing the cultural core of the event, reflecting the dual identity many Bavandimwe navigate daily. Jose Chameleone and Eddy Kenzo were greeted with roaring approval, their performances turning the oval into a chorus of voices and raised phones. Cindy Sanyu, Sheebah Karungi, Nandor Love, Ray G and Omega 256 sustained the momentum, while gospel performances by Pastor Wilson Bugembe and Joseph Ngoma offered a reflective pause amid the intensity.

The sense of recognition extended beyond the stage. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appeared via a live on screen address, using the moment to acknowledge the community’s struggles and resilience. He praised the Abavandimwe for safeguarding their identity and framed their experience within a broader vision of regional integration. He spoke of citizenship not as a static label but as a long term project tied to East African unity, an idea he said echoed the work of past regional leaders such as Julius Nyerere.

Among those present were public figures including Pastor Aloysius Bujjingo and Victoria University vice chancellor Lawrence Muganga, whose attendance reinforced the carnival’s growing national profile. Frank Gashumba, chairperson of the Abavandimwe council, described the gathering as proof that cultural expression need not be confined to the past. He said the event showed culture could remain relevant while still serving as a point of unity.

The night closed with fireworks lighting up the Kampala sky, a visual finale that mirrored the mood on the ground. For many who attended, the lasting impression was not just the scale of the performances but the feeling of being acknowledged in full view of the wider public. In that sense, the Abavandimwe Carnival functioned as both celebration and conversation, one carried out through music, tradition and a shared claim to space.