Kampala, Uganda – Efforts to deepen East African Community (EAC) integration received a major boost earlier today as Dr. Ronex Tendo Kisembo, CEO of Afrika Mashariki Fest, briefed Kenya's High Commissioner to Uganda, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, on the upcoming 3rd Edition of the Twende Zetu Butiama Pilgrimage Safari .
During the meeting at the Kenya High Commission in Kampala, Dr. Kisembo detailed the ambitious itinerary for the pilgrimage, scheduled to take place from 1st to 20th October 2026 . The theme for this year's edition is "Espousing the Enduring Legacy and Values of Our Jumuiya Founding Fathers: a Call for Enhanced Efforts Towards a Politically Federated EAC."
The pilgrimage will honor the region's founding fathers by visiting four key historical sites:
· Dr. Milton Obote's ancestral home at Akokoro, Apac District, Uganda
· Mwalimu Julius Nyerere's ancestral home at Mwitongo, Butiama District, Tanzania
· Mzee Jomo Kenyatta's ancestral home at Ichaweri, Gatundu District, Kenya
· Mzee Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's ancestral home at Bondo, Siaya County, Kenya .
High Commissioner Namwamba expressed profound commitment and enthusiasm towards the initiative, reaffirming his readiness to journey with the youth from all eight EAC partner states to pay tribute to the community's founders .
Dr. Kisembo emphasized the reflective nature of the pilgrimage, stating, "All gave some, some gave all. We may not know them all, but we owe them all. Remembering them is noble. This pilgrimage presents to us an opportunity to reflect, network and take stock of the EAC integration process as stakeholders" .
The pilgrimage will be flagged off at Nkrumah Hall at the University of Dar es Salaam, with stopovers at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Kenyatta University, and Makerere University, before officially beginning the program at Akokoro on 6th-7th October 2026 .
Dr. Kisembo extended gratitude to H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his continued support and guidance since the initiative's inception in 2004 . He also extended a warm welcome to H.E. President Dr. William Ruto and other regional leaders to participate in the historic journey.
The "Twende Zetu Butiama" pilgrimage is a flagship initiative of Afrika Mashariki Fest aimed at fostering regional integration by connecting the youth with the legacy of the EAC's founding fathers .
