Local communities surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable National Park came together to mark World Gorilla Day with a powerful demonstration of grassroots conservation efforts aimed at protecting the critically endangered mountain gorillas and preserving their natural habitat.
Organised by the community-based organisation Change a Life Bwindi, the celebrations were held under the theme “Community Responsibility Towards Conservation of Mountain Gorillas and Ending Plastic Use.” The event featured a range of environmental and educational activities in the Ruhija tracking sector of Mpungu sub-county, Kanungu district.
Key partners in the initiative included the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Agandi Lodges, Asilia Africa, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Max Planck Institute, Ecosia, Kabale University, and the Kanungu District Local Government.
Christine Katushabe, founder of Change a Life Bwindi, stressed the importance of local ownership in conservation.
“The protection of African forests should be done by Africans. The future of our forests is in our hands,” Katushabe said.
She highlighted the need to ensure that local communities benefit from their indigenous knowledge and play a leading role in sustainable environmental management.
The day began with a large-scale environmental clean-up, where volunteers collected and loaded plastic waste onto trucks to combat the growing problem of plastic pollution. This was followed by the planting of 2,000 indigenous trees across the region, involving 50 native species. The effort successfully restored 65 out of a targeted 100 acres earmarked for reforestation.
Katushabe underscored the programme’s youth-focused component:
“We want to mentor each child so that when they grow up, they appreciate and take on the role of conservation in their communities.”
The celebration drew participation from diverse ethnic communities in the region, including the Batwa, Bakiga, Rwandese, and Bafumbira, reflecting a united, inclusive approach to conservation.
With just over 1,000 mountain gorillas remaining globally, of which over half live in Bwindi, such community-led conservation initiatives are vital to the species' survival. Bwindi’s forests are considered one of the last remaining strongholds for mountain gorillas.
Dr. James Musinguzi, Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, said the celebration highlighted the joint efforts made and the work still required to protect gorillas and their habitats.
“Seventy percent of tourism revenue in Uganda comes from gorillas,” Musinguzi revealed. He also announced that UWA, in partnership with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and telecom companies, is rolling out 69 telecom masts in and around protected areas to improve connectivity and enhance the visitor experience.
Juliana Kagwa, CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board, emphasized the gorillas’ contribution to Uganda’s tourism recovery and economic growth post-COVID-19.
“Last year (2024), Bwindi-Mgahinga attracted 50,726 tourists, up from 48,568 in 2023 and 38,105 in 2022,” she noted.
She further pointed out that the tourism sector contributed 6.6% to Uganda’s GDP and directly supported over 803,000 jobs in the last financial year.
The World Gorilla Day celebration featured a series of integrated activities including youth sports events, public awareness campaigns, installation of strategic waste bins, educational exhibitions, and ongoing gorilla population census across the national park’s South-Western landscape.
As Uganda strengthens its eco-tourism credentials, the Kanungu event reaffirmed that community-driven action remains the backbone of long-term conservation success.