By Spy Uganda
Kampala – Prominent city businessman and philanthropist Dr. Hamis Kiggundu, widely known as Ham, has injected a massive UGX 200 million into the revival of the Kampala City Festival, breathing fresh life into an event that had gone dormant for eight years.
The once-signature street celebration, last held in 2017 under then-KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi, is returning on Sunday, October 5, 2025 under the theme “Celebrating Kampala: Culture, Innovation, and Sustainability.” Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is billing this edition as a reimagined carnival to showcase the city’s creativity, diversity and progress ahead of Uganda’s 63rd Independence Day.
At a colourful ceremony on September 16, 2025, Dr. Kiggundu handed over a giant cheque to festival organisers, reiterating his commitment to cultural upliftment and community development.
“Kampala is our city. We must support initiatives that unite us, promote tourism, and create opportunities for our people. The Kampala City Festival is more than just a party – it is a platform for talent, business, and culture,” he said during the handover.
Ham, who heads Ham Enterprises, went a step further by mobilising his workforce of over 7,000 employees to attend and actively participate in the festival — making him the first city tycoon to publicly rally behind this year’s celebration. His gesture is already setting a precedent for other corporate players to support the event.
According to KCCA, the 2025 Kampala City Festival will feature vibrant processions, cultural showcases, live music, fashion, food, street markets, and a focus on community, health, and innovation — all condensed into one action-packed day on October 5. Millions of local and international revellers are expected to throng Kampala’s streets for the mega comeback.
The donation has been widely lauded as a landmark in public-private partnerships, underscoring how Uganda’s business moguls can shape the social and cultural fabric of the capital city.
