eKitabu Partners Kampala Writes LitFest to Expand Reach

In Short

eKitabu says it served as an official partner at the third edition of Kampala Writes LitFest in Uganda. The festival ran from August 28 to 30, 2026, in Kampala.

The company says it used the event to showcase Kenyan authors, widen distribution, and set up more regional publishing collaborations.

What Happened

Kampala Writes LitFest was held at the Uganda National Cultural Centre under the theme “Where Stories Begin.” The event was curated by novelist Goretti Kyomuhendo, in partnership with Goethe-Zentrum Uganda. Novelist and creative writing professor Chika Unigwe was the keynote guest.

eKitabu highlighted three authors across panels and community sessions, Betty Kilonzo, Deborah Tendo, and Donica Merhazion. Deborah Tendo appeared on the main festival panel “Reimagining the Planet” on Saturday, August 29. Donica Merhazion joined book talk sessions, including a segment focused on her writing journey.

Betty Kilonzo closed the festival on the panel “Can Machines Imagine? Creativity in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.” The session touched on AI, meaning software that can generate text or ideas based on patterns in data, like an autocomplete tool taken further.

Beyond author appearances, eKitabu and its imprint Mvua Press ran a writers’ workshop aimed at emerging Ugandan writers seeking publication. After the workshop, Mvua Press issued a call for manuscripts.

The company also hosted a publisher reception and cocktail event at Onomo Hotel. It says the goal was to connect authors, publishers, and other industry leaders and discuss the future of African publishing.

Why It Matters

For African publishers, festivals like LitFest are a practical route into new markets. They compress networking, reader discovery, and sales conversations into a few days.

If eKitabu follows through on manuscript selection and cross-border distribution, this kind of partnership can translate into more regional titles getting published and reaching readers across East Africa.