The Turkana Tourism and Cultural Festival, widely known as Tobonglore, has begun preparations for this year's event. The event is supposed to take place in August 2023 at Ekaale's Cultural Centre in Lodwar.
The festival hopes to draw companies looking for ways to profit from the event and artists, government officials, and festival-goers wishing to immerse themselves in the cultural events.
The inaugural planning meeting was presided over by County Secretary Peter Eripete, who stressed that it was a county event involving all departments, with the Tourism and Culture Department playing a critical coordination role.
Eripete emphasized the importance of early planning, beginning two months before the event, to enable enough time for guests and participating cultural teams to adequately prepare.
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"To ensure a vibrant program, the Tourism Department has been tasked with identifying performing traditional teams and curating diverse categories of cultural products and dances in collaboration with the Administration Department," he stated.
Furthermore, the Cultural Centre at Ekaale's is expected to be open all year, with the Tourism Department spearheading efforts to make this vision a reality.
Eripete underlined the significance of improving the event's seating arrangement to ensure that all spectators had clear visibility of festival activities.
He stated that huge raised screens would be carefully placed to enhance live viewing and ease seating congestion.
Furthermore, the Tourism and Trade Departments are encouraged to investigate the possibility of converting temporary homesteads and exhibition tents into permanent structures, providing improved amenities for future festivals.
Eripete also emphasized the importance of the Miss Tourism and Culture pageant night, highlighting the need for an early and well-defined program, given the event's popularity among the youth.
The appropriate County House Committee on Tourism, Culture, and Heritage will actively participate in the festival's preparations to foster inclusivity and comprehensive planning.
The final festival will take place in December 2021.
