Kampala Uganda: Two Pairs of Gay Twins reveal Why They Enjoy The Annual Kampala Twins Festival

This is the 5th Annual Twins Festival in Uganda’s Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). Yes, four festivals have gone by. This is an annually sought after festival. At these events, twins, parents of twins, and friends of twins meet to share experiences as well as network. Companies have opportunities to showcase their products or brands, there are different entertainment stalls and food. Yes, lots of food.

A mother who has attended all five is expecting with due dates falling in the last week of August. She is excited and she said she will name her child Festival. 

Another woman said she kept on returning to these festivals because she is sure by attending she may get lucky and one day she would give birth to twins. The Twins Festival was a Talisman in her case.

Two non-commissioned officers with Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces had this to say about the festival:

“My experience during the previous festivals was tampered with mixed feelings, I was wondering how the event would turn out. I had been to government sponsored events and mostly the ones where army is involved. We are never short of numbers and one knows there is a schedule set in stone. But, the Twin Festivals overwhelmed me. They are kind of spontaneous. They are like a molotov, you will excuse my military speak. I mean there are mini-events within one bigger event. How civilians do that and remain effective amazes me,” wondered Kato

“ I am in my early 40’s and have served in the army for 20 years. The army is a national institution and therefore one meets people from all the parts of Uganda. But, when I came to my first Twin Festival I met people from parts of Uganda I had not heard of. I met and made many friends. We now have a social media club where we keep in touch. I have even been able to recruit many youths to join the army through these kinds of festivals,” said Wasswa. 

This festival was attended by young and old. It was an opportunity to see a mother of sextuplets, a mother of quadruplets, a mother who has taken care of her blind twins, two pairs of albino twins and the four pairs of disabled twins. 

What we discovered as we listened in into conversations and probed for further explanations was so touching. We got to learn that the two pairs of albino twins were once abandoned. On finding out they were homeless they were taken up by a family of a couple which had quadruplets. They have been raised up by this family. We heard of another story where two twin sisters who are bankers are caring for elderly twins who are in their late 90's. These and so many stories were shared and were revealed by people who were providing them without any pretentiousness. 

We came across two pairs of twins who are lesbian and gay. The lesbian twins are in their late teens and the gay twins are in their mid-twenties (tweens). Both pairs told us this is the second event they have attended. They say, they look forward to more events because this is where they feel so welcome, they sell more products and they have made many friends.  They are running two stalls marketing products. When asked how they met, what they revealed was surprising.

“ We are related to each other. We are first cousins and we got to find out each other or came out to each other at a prayer event which was organized by The Liberty Africa Youth Fellowship an Affirming Church in Kampala,” said one of the twins a fact which was assented to by all.  

A billboard advertising the festival reads thus:

WHAT          :   2017 Kampala Twins Festival 

VENUE         :   Kyadondo Rugby Club, Kampala

WHEN          :   Today (Sunday, August 20)

ENTRY FEE   :   Uganda Shillings 10, 000.00 (USD 3.00)

TIME            :   Open