Chato Utalii Festival comes with a bang

MWANZA: CHATO Utalii Festival 2023 is expected to be held from November 26 to December 3 this year at Magufuli ground in Chato District of Geita region.

According to the Burigi-Chato National Park Senior Conservator, Ombeni Hingi the weeklong festival targets to promote and encourage locals to embrace tourism destinations in the Chato District.

Speaking yesterday at the Saanane Island National Park in the Mwanza region, Hingi said the main goal of the festival is to promote various tourism attraction sites in the district and the money that will be obtained will help in solving shortage of desks in schools.

It is estimated that there is a shortage of about 29,000 desks in the district.

The festival will be coloured by various entertainments, including shows from artists like Zuhura Othman Soud alias ‘Zuchu’ and Saida Karoli. The organisers of the festival urged residents of Lake Zone regions and other parts of the country to turn up in big numbers during the seven days of the festivals.

Rubondo Island National Park Conservation Officer, Themistocles Bitta has said that on the opening day of the festival among other things that will go hand in hand with the event the cycling race from Chato to the Katete area.

On November 27 Canoe race will be held from Rubondo to Mwelani and on December 2, the Chato Utalii Half Marathon will be held alongside a 10 and 5 km fun race.

The registration fee for the race is 35,000/- for each participant. Bitta unveiled that on December 3 they will stage the ‘Nyama Choma’ Festival which will be the final event for the Utalii Festival.

Chato Utalii Festival is under the sponsorship of NMB Bank, Chato District Council, Pori Butchery, Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Lau Tours and safaris and DSTV.