The inaugural Kampala Rolex Festival was held for the first time on the 21st August, 2016 at the Uganda Museum to celebrate the growing tradition and has become one of the signature events in the tourism calendar.
The Rolex initiative together with the ministry of tourism wildlife and antiquities is organizing the second edition of the Kampala Rolex festival in conjunction with the tourism sector and corporate world to popularize this signature menu and celebrate the food culture in Uganda the event is scheduled for 20th August 2017. Rolex vendors adopted food business practices learnt from seasoned food business practitioners that participated in exhibition. From a business angle Rolex vendors that participated in the exhibition made record sales for the first time.
Internationally, Rolex made headlines on CNN, CCTV and BBC as a street food celebrated in Uganda for its empowerment to many communities through “feeding them” and providing income generating opportunities. Many restaurants around the world especially those operated by Ugandans started to include Rolex on their menus examples of these are Little Kampala Bar and Grill in Washington Blvd. In Denmark, Sylvester Bbaale owner of UGOOD, food truck won the best exhibitor award at a food truck festival in Copenhagen. On Ugandan Independence Day, the Ugandan embassy in Denmark hire UGOOD to serve various Ugandan foods including the Rolex to all the diplomats who turned up for the celebration.
As a result, street food business and the multiplier effect such as enhancing competitiveness and employment for the youths, has now become an inspiration for many to join the business that hitherto was not considered an option for employment ”24,000 people during the Kampala Rolex Festival Season II, a number of activities have been lined up, especially street activations that shall reach over 120,000 people, of which 20% are expected to attend the festival. The Kampala Rolex Festival Season II competition and activities will run under a theme; “Street smart “for a period of 3 months under different abstract phases”, Enid Mirembe, Miss Tourism 2015/16 and CEO Rolex Festival, disclosed