CAIA–Uganda’s Festive Campaign Against Illicit Alcohol concludes at the Katereza Festival in Mbarara on 31st December, 2025

The Coalition Against Illicit Alcohol Uganda Chapter (CAIA–Uganda) concluded its festive season campaign in Mbarara City at the Katereza Festival, held on 31 December 2025 at the hills of Katereza from 7:00 p.m. until late.

The festival, now in its fourth year, is an initiative by Reach A Hand Uganda held every 31st December that brings together communities in Mbarara, Rwampara, and neighbouring districts in Western Uganda through music, cultural performances, comedy, and interactive activities. It provides a vibrant platform for health and social awareness campaigns as people welcome the new year, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display that lights up the hills of Katereza and adds to the celebrations.

The Coalition leveraged the festival to use entertainment to increase awareness about the existence of illicit alcohol on the market and encourage audiences to be cautious about what they drink in the new year 2026.

The festival attracted over 10,000 people, including young people, families, and community leaders.
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Speaking at the festival, Humphrey Nabimanya, CEO of Reach A Hand Uganda, said “This year’s Katereza Festival is dedicated to all those who have lost their lives and gotten ill health due to illicit alcohol. We honor the memory of those who lost their lives and recognize the devastating impact of illicit spirits on families and communities. Together, as the people of Mbarara & Rwampara, as we enter 2026, we are making a commitment to protect our lives and those of our loved ones by making safer choices against illicit alcohol”.
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As 2026 ushered in, attendees enjoyed vibrant cultural performances and music from renowned artists including Allan Toniks, Ykee Benda, Ray Signature, Ashaba Music, Ragga Dee, and others, who used their performances to encourage audiences to be cautious about what they drink by choosing regulated spirits.

Comedian Kachina, who was the MC engaged the crowd throughout the festival reiterating one of the campaign key messages, “pause and think before you drink, 8 in 10 Ugandan drinkers consume illicit alcohol”, encouraging them to protect themselves and their circle from illicit alcohol in an entertaining and relatable way.

The festival was a culmination of other community driven initiatives that were held in Mbarara as part of the festive campaign. On 29 December, the Coalition onboarded 50 boda boda riders in Mbarara under the Ebiboozi Bya Boda initiative, which loosely translates as Boda Boda Conversations.

The initiative leverages boda boda riders as trusted community voices to spark continuous conversations with passengers and fellow community members about the existence of illicit alcohol, promote safer lifestyle choices, and encourage responsible decision-making during the festive season and beyond.

The initiative was launched with a roadshow around Mbarara City. Speaking during the roadshow, Atwine Augustine, Chairman of the Boda Boda Lugazi Market Stage, said: “On behalf of all boda boda riders who have been initiated to be part of the initiative, we pledge and commit to engage with all passengers and our colleagues to be cautious about the alcohol they drink because there’s a lot of illicit alcohol on the market.

On 30 December, CAIA–Uganda held a community football tournament with six teams in Kempungu, Mbarara using sports as a platform to engage residents with messages about cautious drinking and community safety. The winning team walked away with a trophy and a goat. Assimwe Daniel, one of the players, thanked the Coalition for organizing the tournament, saying: “This tournament has not been just about the trophy or the goat, we have also learnt a lot. Personally, I have learnt that not all alcohol is okay for consumption”.

Additionally, on 29 and 30 December, the Coalition leveraged Reach A Hand’s Kwiso Mu Cinema initiative, a film-based outreach platform, to screen real-life and relatable community stories, reaching over 300 people in Mbarara. After each screening, a dialogue session was held to spark conversations among community members about the existence of illicit alcohol, encouraging reflection before drinking.

Recent census data show that the Western Region of Uganda is home to approximately 11.6 million people, representing about a quarter of the country’s population, while Mbarara City alone has an estimated 264,000 residents, making it one of the largest urban centres in the region.

With research indicating that around 65 % of all alcohol consumed in Uganda is illicit, the scale of unregulated spirits consumption calls for the urgent need for sustained awareness and prevention efforts in Western Uganda and beyond and the CAIA-Uganda is committed to making this happen.

The Coalition discourages abuse of all forms of alcohol and further encourages legal drinking age adults who choose to drink to avoid illicit alcohol and opt for regulated products that meet established safety standards and ensure safeguarding against exposure to those under legal drinking age in this new year 2026.

In this new year, 2026, the Coalition will continue its efforts to reach more districts like Gulu, Mbale, Jinja and more across Uganda while ensuring continuous and sustained awareness on the existence of illicit alcohol on the market in areas where activations were held during the festive season. This includes Arua, Kampala, and most recently Mbarara.

About CAIA–Uganda

The Coalition Against Illicit Alcohol Uganda Chapter (CAIA–Uganda) is a neutral, evidence-based platform that brings together government institutions, civil society, youth- and faith-based organizations, academia, media, and responsible private sector actors to reduce harm caused by illicit alcohol. The Coalition promotes coordinated action across policy, enforcement, communication, and community mobilization to protect lives and strengthen national well-being.

The Coalition is hosted by Reach A Hand Uganda and includes partners such as Brands On A Mission, Anti Counterfeit Network, Arrow Empirical Research & Skills Enhancement Co. Ltd (AERSE), ADAAM, Uganda Industry Alcohol Association, NBS, Bleep, and Grandstone.

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