Kasule Douglas Benda
After attending ZIFF 2026, I told Emmanuel Amimo that I wanted more opportunities to experience film festivals beyond Uganda. He mentioned a new event, the Embu International Film and Creative Arts Festival (EMBU IFCA FEST), which was set to take place in Embu County, Kenya. He connected me with Ashley Murugi, and before long, I was given the responsibility of putting together a Ugandan delegation.
It wasn’t an easy assignment.
I reached out to many filmmakers, hoping to spark interest, but for most, the invitation came too late to raise the travel funds, while others simply didn’t respond. At one point, I genuinely thought I would end up making the journey alone.
Then came a ray of hope.
Kizito Samuel Saviour (one of the most resourceful filmmakers Uganda has) and Hatika Namyalo, a talented cinematographer and medical professional from Jinja whom I had met during ZIFF in Zanzibar, both confirmed they would join me.
Another blessing came through Ronah Ninsiima Soledad, who immediately saw the festival as a perfect platform to promote this year’s Film and Culture Market. She tirelessly moved from office to office, trying to secure government support for a fuelled bus that could transport more Ugandan filmmakers and exhibitors to Kenya. Unfortunately, she was met with endless bureaucracy and frustration.
I remember telling her, “Ronah, we’ll still represent our country with or without government support.”
In the end, the only official support she managed to secure was a few “Explore Uganda” promotional items: two hoodies, some baskets, Ugandan coffee, and a locally made Mweso board game for exhibition.
Sometimes, you simply have to work with what you have.
Then, on Thursday, 23rd July, while booking our bus tickets at MashPoa, I bumped into Aisha Senkubuge, founder of the Uganda Bouncers Association. After hearing about the trip, she decided she wanted to join us too.
By Friday, 24th July at 6:00 p.m., six Ugandans (Kizito Samuel Saviour, Ronah Ninsiima Soledad, Fortune Musiimenta, Aisha Senkubuge, Hatika Namyalo (who joined us from Jinja), and myself) set off for Kenya.
We arrived in Nairobi on Saturday morning before continuing the two-hour drive north to Embu County, a beautiful place many of us had never even heard of before.
From the very beginning, Team Uganda made its presence felt.
I was invited to host the opening ceremony and eventually became the official Master of Ceremonies throughout the festival. The positive feedback I received from people who had never met me before was incredibly humbling.
Kizito moderated discussions and served as a panelist in several sessions. Ronah and Hatika also shared their expertise on different panels while actively contributing to discussions. Together with Fortune and Aisha, they set up Uganda’s exhibition table, proudly promoting Uganda as both a tourism destination and an attractive filming location.
Ronah made sure that every networking opportunity became an invitation to the Film and Culture Market happening this September in Kampala. That effort paid off, with the Kenya Film Commission confirming its intention to support Kenyan filmmakers to attend the event.
Personally, I also managed to record seven episodes of The Frontrow Podcast with different Kenyan creatives. We even developed a short film concept together, hoping to shoot it before leaving, although time didn’t allow us to complete it.
More importantly, we built genuine friendships and professional relationships with creatives who are already planning collaborative projects in Uganda. Among them is Njoki Wa Njiru, one of Embu’s most celebrated creative personalities.
One aspect of EMBU IFCA FEST stood out to me more than anything else: tourism was intentionally built into the festival programme.
Instead of spending every day inside conference rooms attending masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions and screenings, one day was dedicated entirely to exploring Embu.
We visited sprawling tea plantations before touring the Rukuriri Tea Factory to understand the journey from farm to finished product. It was fascinating to see filmmaking intersect with agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. We also explored Mwea National Reserve, experiencing another side of the region that many visitors would otherwise miss.
It made me wonder…
Imagine if the Uganda Communications Commission integrated similar tourism experiences into the Uganda Film Festival and the Regional Film Competitions.
Imagine taking filmmakers to coffee plantations, cultural sites, factories, conservation areas, fishing communities or historical landmarks across Uganda.
The stories we tell are shaped by what we experience. The more our filmmakers explore Uganda, the richer and more authentic our films will become. Such partnerships between the creative industry and tourism sector could produce incredible content while showcasing the country’s beauty to the world.
As the curtain fell on the inaugural EMBU International Film and Creative Arts Festival,
Team Uganda represented our country with pride.
A heartfelt thank you to Emmanuel Amimo for opening this door and connecting us to this incredible opportunity.
Congratulations to Ashley Murugi and the entire organising team for successfully delivering an outstanding first edition of EMBU IFCA FEST.
Special appreciation also goes to the festival partners and sponsors, including Izaak Walton Inn for the accommodation, Winter Villa Resort for hosting the main festival activities, and Nikon Kenya for supporting the technical side of the event.
We’re back home, inspired, grateful, and ready for the next opportunity.
Because when one door opens, many more often follow.
#EmbuIFCAFest2026
#MakingUgFilmsFamous
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I’m a professional performing artist, an acting coach, film director, actors’ agent and more.
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