KISORO, UGANDA: A team of Ugandan celebrities, social media influencers and tourism stakeholders has officially launched the Mountain Gorilla Festival 2026 at the Home of Kigezi Museum in Nyakabande Sub-county, Kisoro District.
The three-day festival is scheduled for November 20–22, 2026, and will feature a series of tourism, conservation and cultural activities, including the Virunga Gorilla Marathon.
The marathon, scheduled for November 21, will start at 6 a.m. and will feature races covering 6, 10, 21, 42 and 112 kilometres.
The campaign is being organised in partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Stanbic Bank, Tusker Lite, Pepsi, the European Union, CarbonSafe and Airtel Uganda, among other partners.
The initiative aims to promote mountain gorilla conservation and tourism while encouraging both domestic and international tourists to visit Kisoro and explore the wider Kigezi region.
The campaign brought together musicians, celebrities and digital content creators whose platforms are being used to create awareness about Uganda’s mountain gorillas and promote the activities lined up for the festival.
Among the personalities involved are musicians Ykee Benda, whose real name is Wycliffe Tugume, Allan Sseky and John Laban, alongside Miss Tourism Queen South West Kembabazi, Zyra Baby, Shawa, Dr. Solomon and Christine Nampera, among other influencers.
The team was flagged off from the UTB offices in Kampala on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, before travelling to southwestern Uganda for a series of tourism, conservation and promotional activities.
The influencers first made an overnight stop at Lake Bunyonyi before proceeding to Ruhija in Rubanda District on Thursday, where they participated in activities marking World Gorilla Day.
As part of the campaign, the team also participated in an activation for the Virunga Gorilla Marathon, one of the major tourism and conservation activities being promoted ahead of the Mountain Gorilla Festival.
The following day, the celebrities and influencers visited the Rushaga sector and the Rubugiri area around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where they participated in a gorilla trekking experience.
The experience allowed the influencers to interact with Uganda’s mountain gorillas firsthand while creating digital content to share with their audiences.
The team later proceeded to Kisoro, where they explored tourism attractions including Lake Mutanda, participating in activities such as boat cruising and zip-lining.
The campaign forms part of broader efforts by UWA and UTB to use digital platforms and influential personalities to market Uganda’s tourism destinations while promoting conservation.
The influencers had previously participated in the Open Park Days campaign, which used their digital platforms to showcase Uganda’s protected areas and tourism attractions.
The Mountain Gorilla Festival is expected to bring together conservationists, tourists, local communities, businesses, cultural performers and other stakeholders for three days of activities centred on mountain gorilla conservation, tourism and community development.
ugandan celebrities and social media influencers during a gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Photo by Mountain Gorilla Festival.
The programme is expected to feature gorilla and golden monkey trekking, mountain hiking in the Virunga ranges, boat rides and zip-lining on Lake Mutanda, cultural performances, conservation activities, community and business exhibitions, food and coffee experiences, and the Virunga Gorilla Marathon, among other activities.
Mr. Kenneth Kamukama, who is hosting the festival and the marathon, told the media that the festival is aimed at promoting the mountain gorillas and tourism in the Kigezi region.
“This festival will put together a series of events and activities all geared towards promoting the mountain gorilla that we have in the Bwindi here in Kisoro,” he said.
Kamukama said the marathon will include a 6-kilometre fun run, which is open to people who do not regularly run or are unable to run long distances.
Kenneth Kamukama speaking to the media during the launch of the Mountain Gorilla Festival 2026. Photo by Mountain Gorilla Festival.
“We invite all runners, and the six-kilometre fun run is something that you can do even if you’re not a runner or one that runs every week,” he said.
Mr. Nkusi Gerald, the Director of the Home of Kigezi Museum, said the museum will provide visitors with an opportunity to experience the culture of Kigezi and understand the ecosystem of the Virunga landscape.
“This is a place where people come to experience the culture of Kigezi and then also they can be able to understand the ecosystem within the Virunga,” he said.
Nkusi added that marathon participants will be able to visit the museum and learn about how people lived in Kigezi in the past and how they live today, as well as efforts to restore parts of the ecosystem within the landscape.
“So when you come here for the Virunga Marathon, you can also be able to learn how people used to live in Kigezi and how they are living today, plus also how we are working towards restoring some of the ecosystem within this landscape,” he said.
Kamukama said Kisoro has a wide range of tourism attractions, including gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga, golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga, boat cruises on Lake Mutanda aboard the Amazing Grace boat, and hikes such as the Three-in-Three hike.
He said packages combining several of these activities are being developed and visitors can find more information through the organisers’ social media platforms.
In a message posted on its official X account, the Uganda Wildlife Authority thanked members of the public for following the influencers’ journey and invited visitors to experience the attractions available in Kisoro.
UWA encouraged visitors to participate in gorilla and golden monkey trekking, mountain hiking, community experiences and the Virunga Gorilla Marathon, while inviting tourists to explore Kisoro and the wider Kigezi region.
