United Asian Network Welcomes Festival of Friendship Under Its Umbrella in Landmark Community Partnership
- United Asian Network Office
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Nairobi, Kenya – 8th July 2026
The United Asian Network (UAN) is proud to announce a landmark partnership with the Festival of Friendship (FOF), following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that formally brings the Festival of Friendship under the UAN umbrella as a dedicated sub-committee. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone in strengthening community engagement, promoting social cohesion, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of one of Kenya's most celebrated multicultural sporting and friendship initiatives.
For many years, the Festival of Friendship has united communities across Kenya through sports, healthy competition, volunteerism, and fellowship. By integrating into the United Asian Network's governance framework, FOF will continue to preserve its unique identity, traditions, and operational independence while benefiting from enhanced governance, financial management, regulatory compliance, and institutional support.
Speaking on the partnership, Dr. Bimal Kantaria, Chairman of the United Asian Network, said:
"This partnership reflects what UAN was established to achieve—bringing communities together, strengthening institutions, and creating sustainable platforms that will serve generations to come. Festival of Friendship has built an incredible legacy of unity through sport, and we are honoured to provide the governance and institutional support that will enable it to grow even further while retaining the spirit that has made it so successful."
The new structure enables FOF to continue organizing its flagship events while accessing UAN's governance systems, banking infrastructure, compliance support, financial oversight, and strategic partnerships. Importantly, all Festival of Friendship activities and funds will remain dedicated exclusively to FOF programmes through ring-fenced financial management, ensuring transparency, accountability, and confidence among participants, sponsors, and partners.
Aneez Rahemtulla, Chairman of Festival of Friendship, welcomed the collaboration, saying:
"Festival of Friendship has always been about bringing people together beyond community boundaries. Partnering with UAN provides us with a stronger institutional foundation while allowing us to continue delivering the sporting and community experiences that participants have come to love. This is an exciting new chapter for FOF."
The partnership also reflects a shared commitment to good governance, responsible financial management, regulatory compliance, and long-term community development. It creates a scalable model through which successful community initiatives can flourish with the support of strong institutions while maintaining their individual identity and purpose.
As Kenya's premier pan-Asian platform, the United Asian Network continues to expand its role as a facilitator of collaboration across business, professional, cultural, social, and sporting sectors. The inclusion of Festival of Friendship further strengthens UAN's vision of fostering unity, inclusion, and meaningful engagement across diverse communities.
Both organisations look forward to building an even stronger future together—one that celebrates friendship, community spirit, excellence in sport, and lasting partnerships that benefit generations to come.
Watch full reel of the signing: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DRDBgFPsT/
About United Asian Network (UAN)
United Asian Network (UAN) is Kenya's leading pan-Asian, not-for-profit, non-religious and non-political umbrella organisation dedicated to strengthening community engagement, promoting economic collaboration, encouraging civic participation, and building bridges across diverse communities.
Festival of Friendship (FOF) is a long-standing community sports and cultural initiative that brings together diverse communities through friendly competition, volunteerism, and social engagement, fostering unity, friendship, and mutual understanding across Kenya.
🎉 SAVE THE DATE – FESTIVAL OF FRIENDSHIP 2026! 🎉
🗓️ Dates: 9th November – 12th December 2026
Prepare to participate in an unforgettable festival filled with friendship, unity, teamwork, and healthy competition. Whether you’re a player, supporter, volunteer, or fan, there’s a place for you!
Save the date, spread the word, and let’s unite communities through sport! ⚽🏸🏃🏽♀️🏐
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