The inaugural Seka stand-up comedy festival will be held on March 24 and 25 in Kigali.

The festival will feature Africa’s famous comedians like Nigeria’s Klint the Drunk, Kenya’s Eric Omondi and Chipukeezy, Patrick Salvado from Uganda, Tanzania’s Idris Sultan, Captain Khalid — a German based Tanzanian comedian, and Kigingi from Burundi among others.

The event also introduces “Comedy on the Bus”, featuring live performances by various comedians on a bus.

“We wanted to carry out sensitisation, where by using the bus we take comedy to the people, where it is accessible to all,” said Arthur Nkusi, a Rwandan stand-up comedian, and one of the administrators at Arthur Nation, the company organising the event.

On “Comedy on the Bus”, passengers will pay Rfw500 ($0.6) each. They will be entertained by comedians as they travel to various destinations around Kigali.

This session will feature surprise performances by both local and guest comedians, who will be picked up at various bus stops to perform on the moving buses.

The grand finale will take place on March 25, at the Kigali Convention and Exhibition Village, and will feature live performance by all local and guest acts.

“We noticed how certain audience have not been attending comedy events, saying that they were too expensive. This festival is a community outreach, which also serves as a platform to showcase aspiring Rwandan stand-up comedians,” said Nkusi.

The 2018 Seka Fest follows Seka Live, an event that has held four seasons, with acts like Anne Kansiime among others gracing it.