Burundi condemns misuse of its sacred drum at Nyege Nyege

The government of Burundi has condemned the misuse of its sacred drum during the just concluded Nyege Nyege festival that was held in Jinja district.

According to a tweet from the Burundi ministry in charge of culture, the drum was added onto the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2014.

In 2017, a presidential decree said that only male performers would be allowed to play the drums in the future. However, the Burundi government has been angered by a picture from the festival which showed a woman drumming it.

Now Burundi warns that they cannot tolerate anyone who violates the Burundi culture and customs, adding that exploitation of the sacred drum is a crime that is punishable by law.

“The Ministry takes this opportunity to recall that the exploitation of the Burundian drum, already registered at UNESCO since 2007 as World Cultural Heritage, is governed by Decree nº100/0196 of 20th/10/2017. Any offender will be prosecuted for penalties provided by law.” A tweet shared by the Burundi ministry in charge of culture reads.

Thousands of revelers attended the festival which was allowed to go on despite claims from parliament that it promotes sexual immorality.

Written by Ritah Kemigisa