The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has launched the 2026 Mountain Gorilla Festival, placing community benefits at the centre of conservation efforts as the country prepares to announce the latest census results for the endangered primates.
The festival was launched at Sheraton Hotel Kampala under the theme “Protecting Gorillas, Empowering Communities” and the tagline “Run, Explore, Conserve.”
UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi said conservation must deliver tangible benefits to communities living around Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks to sustain local support for wildlife protection.
He said communities should benefit through employment, tourism enterprises, cultural experiences and improved infrastructure.
“Protecting gorillas starts with empowering the communities that live alongside them,” the authority said, emphasising the link between conservation and local livelihoods.
Dr. Musinguzi also revealed that Uganda’s latest mountain gorilla census results were being finalised and would be announced soon.
Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorillas, which are found in the country’s southwestern forests, particularly Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks.
The census is expected to provide updated information on the population of the primates, which are a major attraction for Uganda’s wildlife tourism industry. However, UWA has not yet announced the findings or provided a date for their release.
The annual festival will bring together conservationists, tourism stakeholders and communities through exhibitions, a conference and sporting activities intended to promote gorilla conservation and showcase Uganda’s natural heritage.
One of the key activities will be the Virunga Gorilla Marathon, scheduled for November 21, 2026.
The event is expected to draw participants from different communities and tourism stakeholders, using sport to raise awareness about conservation and the importance of protecting mountain gorilla habitats.
The festival also seeks to highlight the contribution of communities living near protected areas, whose livelihoods are closely linked to conservation and tourism activities.
UWA has emphasised that providing economic opportunities for these communities is essential to maintaining support for the protection of mountain gorillas and their habitats.
The launch comes as Uganda continues to promote wildlife tourism as a source of employment, community income and foreign exchange, with gorilla trekking among the country’s leading tourism experiences.
Through the festival, UWA aims to connect conservation with community development while encouraging Ugandans and visitors to participate in protecting the country’s natural heritage.
