The popular Nyege Nyege music festival in Uganda will go ahead as planned after the government and organisers agreed that strict guidelines would be implemented.
Critics, including several MPs and the speaker of parliament, had called for its cancellation saying the annual festival was promoting immorality.
Some said it was a “breeding ground for sexual immorality” and “homosexuality”.
The government’s decision to give the event the go-ahead has angered some MPs.
One lawmaker questioned whether the government had taken into consideration its capacity to handle emerging health concerns like a global outbreak of monkeypox which mostly affects men who have sex with men.
Nyege Nyege has been a big draw for music fans in the region and beyond and showcases artists from across the continent, along with those in the diaspora.
The festival, which would be taking place for the seventh time, has often attracted controversy.
At least 8,000 people are expected to attend the festival in the city of Jinja, east of the capital, Kampala.
In 2018, it was cancelled on grounds that it was promoting promiscuity but it was allowed to proceed later after a public outcry.
