When Kigali met Kampala at Afro Urban, Kigali Meets Kampala, the result was a night that moved effortlessly between soulful live music, powerful vocals and carefully curated DJ sets.
Held at MoTIV Bugolobi, the event brought together artists and creatives from Uganda and Rwanda for a celebration of contemporary East African sound. With Club Pilsener keeping the drinks flowing and the good vibes firmly in place, the night steadily gathered momentum, building towards the moment when the spotlight finally fell on its two headline acts, Kohen Jaycee and Mike Kayihura.
The atmosphere found its rhythm early, thanks in part to the DJs from Ssese Nation. DJ Ames and DJ Ssese, alongside the other selectors, kept the room moving and ensured the vibes stayed right throughout the evening. Their sets created the musical bridge between the different performances while giving the audience enough energy to stay engaged from one act to the next.
The live performances also received an important boost from AKA Dope Band, whose musicianship allowed the artists to move seamlessly through their sets. With the band providing the live foundation, the performances felt connected rather than separate, giving the evening the character of a proper live music experience.
Before the headliners arrived, artists including Kamanzi and Kyle Simbwa, among many others, took the stage and helped build anticipation. Each performance added another layer to a night designed around the meeting of different sounds and creative identities from across East Africa.
Then came Kohen Jaycee.
He stepped onto the stage and quickly mesmerised the audience with his vocals. His performance went beyond simply singing through a catalogue. Instead, he created moments of genuine connection as the crowd joined him in sing-alongs to songs including Twala Nze, Siganye, After 10:30, among others.
As the performance gathered momentum, Kohen continued to pull the audience deeper into his world. His live delivery gave the songs a new dimension, while the crowd's response showed just how familiar his music had become to the room.
He eventually brought his set to a close with “Not Letting Go.” However, he did not leave the stage alone. Night MC Zuba Mutesi joined him, helping lift the energy inside the room even further and turning the closing moments of Kohen's performance into one of the evening's standout scenes.
With the energy now at 100, the night took a different turn when Mike Kayihura stepped onto the stage.
Rather than trying to match the intensity that Kohen had created, the Rwandan singer chose another route. He slowed things down and delivered a deeply soulful live performance drawn from his new project, Intwaza.
Kayihura sang and played the keyboard, creating an intimate moment that allowed his voice and musicianship to take centre stage. Even with the change in pace, the audience remained fully engaged. In fact, revellers were already singing along to the songs from Intwaza, creating a sense of familiarity despite the project's newness.
From there, Kayihura moved through other songs from his catalogue, maintaining the connection between the stage and the audience before eventually bringing the performance to its satisfying conclusion with “Tuza.”
By the time the final notes faded, Kayihura had taken the audience on a very different journey from the one Kohen had created moments earlier. One performance lifted the room through powerful sing-alongs and high energy; the other drew everyone closer through soulful musicianship. Together, they captured the spirit of Kigali Meets Kampala.
As the evening began to wind down, DJ Kai from Sesse Nation took control of the decks. The transition allowed the audience to move from the live performances back into a DJ-led atmosphere, bringing the night towards its close without abruptly breaking the mood.
Ultimately, Afro Urban, Kigali Meets Kampala lived up to its promise of bringing two East African creative scenes into the same space. Through the performances, the live band, the DJs and the audience, the event created a night where Kampala and Kigali did not simply meet. They shared a stage, exchanged sounds and gave the crowd an experience to remember.