travel 23 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Mbale Gears Up for World Tourism Day, Highlighting Coffee, Malewa, and Imbalu
Mbale City is set to host the upcoming World Tourism Day celebrations, with a special focus on promoting the region's unique offerings including its renowned arabica coffee, the traditional Bagisu delicacy 'malewa' (bamboo shoots), and the culturally significant Imbalu circumcision ceremony. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/coffee-and-malewa-to-headline-mbale-tourism-day-celebrations-5568694
Mbale City, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, is gearing up to host the World Tourism Day celebrations on September 27th. The event, themed “Digital agenda and artificial intelligence to redesign tourism,” will take place at Mbale Secondary School grounds. Preparations are underway to showcase Mbale as a prime tourism destination in eastern Uganda, highlighting significant infrastructural developments and newly beautified cityscapes.
A variety of activities are planned throughout September to build excitement and engage various stakeholders. These include student and community sensitisation programs, friendly tourism games between Kampala and Mbale teams, a regional conference for tourism professionals, essay competitions, and cultural fusion events culminating in free music concerts. The celebrations aim to spotlight the region’s rich cultural heritage and natural attractions.
Key attractions set to be promoted include the unique arabica coffee grown in the Bugisu region, the traditional delicacy of ‘malewa’ made from bamboo shoots, and the iconic Imbalu circumcision ritual. “We are bringing World Tourism Day celebrations to Mbale this year. We are going to be celebrating the region. Most importantly this being Imbalu year, we want to have a cultural fusion in Mbale City,” stated Ms Mavis Norah Neema, an official from the Ministry of Tourism.
Activists and industry players are eager to leverage the event. Ms Agnes Kirabo, director of Food Rights Alliance, emphasized the importance of promoting ‘malewa’ to younger generations to ensure its cultural continuity. “As people are informed about Imbalu worldwide, we want people to have a special day in the region known worldwide for celebrating malewa,” she noted.
Furthermore, the upcoming Elgon Coffee Festival is slated to launch during the World Tourism Day celebrations, an initiative by Mr Saleh Naminya of Casa Safaris, aimed at attracting a large influx of tourists annually. “The World Tourism Day celebrations being hosted in Mbale is a golden chance for us first of all as people in the hospitality industry and blessing to develop new tourism products,” he commented.
The celebrations will also feature excursions to local tourist sites such as Wanale Hill, Sipi Falls, Sisiyi Falls, and the Mbale City zoo. Ms Winnie Nambuba, Mbale City Tourism Officer, described the event as a vital platform for creatives, the hospitality sector, and the community to collectively promote the region’s tourism potential.