30–31 December · Lubiri Palace · Two-Day Event
Enkuuka
y'Omwaka
Two-Day Chronicle - Dec 30: SME Fair · Dec 31: Full Enkuuka
December 30 - SME & Trade Fair Day
All Day · 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
SME Marketplace Opens
200+ Vendors · Entrepreneurs · Corporates
December 30th is dedicated to Uganda's business community. 200+ SMEs, artisans, corporates and innovators set up their stalls across Lubiri Palace grounds. The Enkuuka Museum and Mini Zoo are also open all day.
Ekigwo - Traditional Wrestling
Traditional Kiganda Wrestling · Day 1 Bouts
Ekigwo (traditional Kiganda wrestling) bouts on December 30th serve as qualifiers for the grand final on December 31st. Representatives from all 18 Masaza compete. A roaring crowd, royal tradition - ancient sport at its most electric.
SME Day Evening Entertainment
Live Music · Cultural Performances · Winds Down 10 PM
December 30th closes with an evening of live music and cultural performances as the trade fair winds down. A preview of what is to come on the main Enkuuka night. Gates close at 10:00 PM.
31st December 2025
Enkuuka y'Omwaka - The Main Event
Morning Begins
7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
The Gates of Lubiri Open
Lubiri Palace, Mengo · Festival Grounds Activated
The gates of Lubiri Palace swing open and the crowds begin streaming in. Prayers open the day. Food courts activate, vendor stalls open, and the cultural exhibition tents welcome early arrivals onto the sprawling palace grounds.
Cultural Exhibitions & Rising Talent
Traditional Showcases · Morning Performances
Bark cloth weaving, gomesi and kanzu showcases, clan artefact displays and live performances from rising artists representing all 18 Masaza run through the morning. A celebration of living Kiganda heritage.
The Afternoon
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Ekigwo Finals, Bike Racing & Community Services
Ekigwo Finals · Bike Racing · NIRA · Health Drives
Ekigwo (traditional Kiganda wrestling) grand finals and competitive bike racing fill the afternoon as the main stage builds in tempo. Community service drives run in parallel - NIRA ID registration, blood donation, and free health screenings for all attendees.
The Evening
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Top Artists Take the Main Stage
Prime-time Performances · Full Production
Uganda's leading artists begin headline sets. Past Enkuuka performances include Eddy Kenzo, Bebe Cool, Winnie Nwagi, King Saha, Juliana Kanyomozi, Pallaso, Fik Fameica and Pastor Wilson Bugembe - full band productions on a giant stage.
Katikkiro Arrives - Then the Kabaka
The Most Anticipated Moment of the Entire Day
Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga arrives first to thunderous applause. Minutes later, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II makes his grand entrance to the collective ululations of hundreds of thousands. The energy of everything that has built all day reaches its absolute peak.
Kabaka's Address & Luganda Quiz Awards
Royal Speech · Kingdom Competition Prizes
The Kabaka addresses his subjects on unity, culture and development - in Luganda, broadcast live nationwide. He then personally presents trophies to the winners of the Luganda Quiz Competition, celebrating mastery of Kiganda language and heritage.
Entanda Ya Buganda - Omuzira Mbazira
Luganda Quiz Grand Championship · Royal Proclamation
The culminating moment of Entanda Ya Buganda - Buganda's prestigious Luganda language and cultural quiz. The Kabaka personally proclaims the grand champion as Omuzira Mbazira before 45,000 witnesses. This is the highest intellectual honour in Buganda, celebrating mastery of Kiganda language, history and heritage.
Into the Night
8:00 PM - 11:55 PM
High-Energy Night - Non-Stop Performances
Back-to-Back Headlines · 45,000+ Revellers
The night programme runs at full intensity from 8 PM to just before midnight - four solid hours of back-to-back headline sets. CBS FM 88.8 broadcasts live nationwide. The Lubiri grounds hold over 45,000 revellers creating an atmosphere unlike any other celebration in East Africa.
12:00 AM · 31 December → 1 January
The Key
Ceremony
& Fireworks
At exactly midnight, the Kabaka of Buganda lifts the symbolic kingdom key - officially unlocking and opening the New Year for his people. A massive fireworks display erupts over Lubiri Palace. 45,000 voices shake Mengo. Happy New Year, Uganda.
Don't Miss It
Be at Enkuuka 2026
Lubiri Palace, Mengo. 31st December. 7:00 AM to past midnight.