By Frank Kamuntu | Mr Swift
The Mountain Gorilla Festival has been launched in Kisoro, bringing together tourism, conservation and cultural activities aimed at promoting the region’s mountain gorillas and showcasing the tourism potential of Kigezi.
The three-day festival, hosted at the Home of Kigezi Museum, is scheduled for November 20 to 22 and will feature the Virunga Gorilla Marathon on November 21.
The marathon will start at 6am, with participants taking part in races covering 6, 10, 21, 42 and 112 kilometres.
Kenneth Kamukama, the host of the festival and marathon, said the event was designed to promote the mountain gorillas found in the Bwindi landscape while encouraging visitors to explore the wider tourism attractions in Kigezi.
“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,” Kamukama said.
He said the 6-kilometre race would provide an opportunity for people who do not regularly run to participate in the event.
“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.
The festival and marathon are being organised with support from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Tourism Board, Stanbic Bank, Tusker Lite, Pepsi, the European Union, CarbonSafe and Airtel Uganda.
Gerald Nkusi, Director of the Home of Kigezi Museum, said the museum would give visitors an opportunity to experience Kigezi’s culture while learning about the Virunga ecosystem.
He said marathon participants would be able to explore how communities in Kigezi lived in the past, how they live today and efforts to restore parts of the surrounding ecosystem.
Beyond the gorilla experience, Kamukama said Kisoro offers a range of attractions, including gorilla tracking in Bwindi and Mgahinga, golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga, boat cruises on Lake Mutanda aboard the Amazing Grace boat and hikes such as the Three in Three hike.
Organisers said tourism packages combining several of these experiences are being developed to allow visitors to make the most of their stay in Kisoro during the festival.
The organisers are also encouraging runners, tourists and members of the public to take part in the festival and experience the region’s unique combination of conservation, culture, adventure and community tourism.
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