The Festival..

Event Name : Jumuia ya Afrika Mashariki Festival
Dates : 22nd to 29th September, 2019
Location : Dar re Salam Tanzania
Participating Countries : Host Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda
THEME : CULTURAL DIVERSITY: A KEY DRIVER TO REGIONAL INTERGRATION, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND PROMOTION OF TOURISM.
BACKGROUND
Jumuia ya Afrika Mashariki Festival is a festival organized by the East Africa Commission to celebrate and share the Culture among its partner States. The festival this year will be held in Dar-salaam, Tanzania from 22nd to 29th September, 2019.
It will take place at the National Stadium, at the heart of the city, Dar es Salaam- Located on the Swahili coast, being one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
Jamafest is an acronym for Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni Festival, the Kiswahili rendering for the EAC Arts and Culture Festival which aims to promote regional socio-cultural integration through arts and culture by providing a platform to showcase culture as a primary driver of regional integration.
Jamafest came to life after the EAC Council of Ministers in September 2011 directed the EAC Secretariat to organize regular festivals of the kind, and Rwanda was consequently selected to host the first edition of the Festival in 2013, with Kenya hosting the 2015 edition and Uganda the 2017 edition. It is envisaged the festival will be held biennially and hosted by Partner States rotationally.
Based on the Vision of the EAC which is to be a prosperous, competitive, secured, stable and politically United East Africa, and its Mission “to widen and deepen economic, political, social and cultural integration”; the main purpose is to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa through increased competitiveness, value added production, trade and investments. Partner States therefore decided to establish The Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Culture Festival termed as JAMAFEST.
The 2019 edition of the Festival is themed “Cultural Diversity: A Key Driver to Regional Integration, Economic Growth and Promotion of Tourism”.

FESTIVAL VISION     : To have a Unified East Africa through Arts and Culture.

FESTIVAL MISSION  : To promote regional socio-cultural integration through arts and culture