Innocent MUGABO

Strategic Comms | Global Village Resident | Family First | @AWF_Official Storyteller | Trained @YALINetwork @alx_africa @Reuters | Impact through storytelling.

[AWF @AWF_Official]

1/6 - Black or white? Neither.

On #WorldRhinoDay, join us in this thread 🧵 as we explore what really sets Africa’s two rhino species apart.

[AWF @AWF_Official]

1/4 - Over 130 new businesses, countless lives transformed and one massive leap for local communities in Rwanda. Over 130 community members just graduated from an intensive enterprise program, turning raw ideas into sustainable, job-creating businesses.

Here is what community-led growth actually looks like in action: 🧵

[Kwita Izina @Kwitaizina]

The excitement is building in Kinigi! 🦍🌿

Thousands of residents and guests are arriving in Musanze for today’s 21st #KwitaIzina Gorilla Naming Ceremony.

#VisitRwanda

[The New Times (Rwanda) @NewTimesRwanda]

Stay informed this weekend with The New Times ePaper Weekend Edition (September 4 - 6), featuring the latest news, sports, business, lifestyle, and more.

Full edition: https://t.co/32pf64EHXA

[AWF @AWF_Official]

1/4

Can conservation create economic opportunity at the same time?

Around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, the @AWF_Official is working with the Rwanda Development Board and local communities to demonstrate how market-driven enterprise can strengthen livelihoods while supporting the long-term protection of mountain gorilla habitat.

[AWF @AWF_Official]

As Rwanda prepares for #KwitaIzina, the spotlight turns to the mountain gorilla. But conservation success must go beyond species recovery.

It means landscapes where people, wildlife, and economies thrive together — through locally led conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and long-term investment.

Read how Rwanda is helping shape this next chapter: https://t.co/5VCumj4WBg @nsapatric

[Kwita Izina @Kwitaizina]

Only 4 days to go! 🦍🌿

This Friday, we gather in Kinigi for the 21st #KwitaIzina Gorilla Naming Ceremony, celebrating new life and Rwanda’s continued conservation journey.

🗓️ 4 September 2026
📍 Kinigi, Musanze

#VisitRwanda

[Rwanda Development Board @RDBrwanda]

Inside the planned Smart Green Village 🌿

Learn how the project will support communities while advancing conservation around @VolcanoesPark. 🦍

#KwitaIzina | #VisitRwanda

[Rwanda Development Board @RDBrwanda]

Global Afrobeats star @heisrema will headline the @Kwitaizina Concert at @bkarenarw on 5 September, the main entertainment event of this year’s #KwitaIzina celebrations. 🦍🎶

The concert will take place after the 21st Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi on 4 September.

🔗 Read more: https://t.co/6NE4PvAr9G

#VisitRwanda

[AWF @AWF_Official]

1/5 🐘 WORLD ELEPHANT DAY

Did you know an elephant can drink up to 200 litres of water a day?

In a landscape like Tsavo, that makes access to water fundamental to the survival of elephants—and to how they move through landscapes shared with people.

But there is a bigger story behind that number. 🧵

#WorldElephantDay

[Kwita Izina @Kwitaizina]

We extend our appreciation to all partners who have so far committed to supporting the 21st #KwitaIzina.

As we prepare for the Gorilla Naming Ceremony on 4 September 2026, we look forward to welcoming more partners to join us in sustaining the future through conservation.

#VisitRwanda

[Kwita Izina @Kwitaizina]

Welcome, African Wildlife Foundation, as an Eco-Tourism Partner for the 21st #KwitaIzina.

Together, we continue to promote conservation, sustainable tourism, and community development, ensuring that Rwanda's mountain gorillas and the communities living alongside them flourish for generations to come.

[AWF @AWF_Official]

Climate resilience begins with people.

Around Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, young people are restoring indigenous forests, protecting wildlife habitat, and demonstrating that lasting conservation starts within communities.

Read how youth are helping shape a more resilient future.

🔗 https://t.co/lncjByFNeZ

[AWF @AWF_Official]

The reported loss of 15 elephants in Amboseli National Park is deeply disturbing.

Amboseli is one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife landscapes and one of the last great strongholds of the continent’s legendary Big Tuskers. These elephants are more than a national treasure; they are an irreplaceable part of Africa’s natural heritage, inspiring generations and underscoring the importance of protecting healthy, connected landscapes.

The @AWF_Official is in close consultation with the @KWSKenya and other conservation stakeholders as investigations continue. We support a thorough, science-based process to establish the facts and look forward to a swift, transparent, and peaceful resolution based on verified evidence.

Our thoughts are with everyone dedicated to safeguarding Amboseli’s wildlife. We remain committed to working alongside governments, communities, and partners to ensure this extraordinary landscape and the wildlife that calls it home continue to thrive for generations to come.

[Kaddu Sebunya @AWFCEO]

What an inspiring week in Rwanda for the @AWF_Official

This visit reflected what makes AWF's approach distinct: bringing together governments, communities, the private sector, and development partners to ensure conservation delivers lasting value for both people and wildlife.

From strengthening strategic partnerships and advancing innovative conservation finance, to supporting community enterprise, restoring critical landscapes, and investing in Africa's next generation of conservation leaders, each engagement reinforced that conservation is not a standalone goal; it is a catalyst for sustainable development.

This highlights video captures some of the moments that made the week so memorable and, more importantly, the collective effort behind them. It is a glimpse into how AWF is working alongside our partners to build an Africa where wildlife and wild lands are an engine for prosperity, resilience, and opportunity.

I invite you to watch the highlights and see what is possible when conservation is led by Africans, for Africa.

@nsapatric, @BeatriceCyiza, @AWF_Official, @AndreaAthanas1, @visitrwanda_now, @MusanzeDistrict , @RDBrwanda , @CityofKigali ,

[The New Times (Rwanda) @NewTimesRwanda]

Conservation is emerging as a key economic opportunity for Africa, creating jobs, supporting businesses, and improving livelihoods while protecting the continent’s natural resources, according to African Wildlife Foundation CEO Kaddu Sebunya.

Read more: https://t.co/Id2v155GxS

[Kaddu Sebunya @AWFCEO]

In one of my final engagements in Rwanda this week, I had the privilege of delivering a guest address at the inaugural Kigali Business & Climate Talks, where I spoke about the immense opportunity within Africa's wildlife economy and the need to reimagine conservation as an engine for sustainable economic growth rather than a competing development priority.

The conversation was a fitting culmination of a week spent visiting communities, entrepreneurs, restoration initiatives and strategic partners across the Volcanoes landscape. Everywhere I went, I saw compelling evidence that when conservation is rooted in local ownership, strengthened by partnerships and connected to enterprise, it creates lasting value for both people and nature.

One message stood out throughout our discussions: Africa's green economy will not be built by protecting natural capital alone. It will be built by treating that natural capital as a productive asset; creating jobs, strengthening local businesses, attracting investment and ensuring that more of the value generated by our landscapes remains within African economies.

That also means growing domestic and regional tourism alongside international markets, making Africans not only custodians of our natural heritage, but also its investors, champions and beneficiaries.

And to further crown an inspiring week, I was especially proud to see @kelemaa_ , an AWF-Wall Leadership Fellow, serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event.

It was a timely reminder that while Africa's biodiversity is one of our greatest assets, our greatest long-term investment will always be the next generation of African leaders who will shape its future.

[Kaddu Sebunya @AWFCEO]

This is a special shout-out to the incredible team at @farmhouseRw.

Throughout my time here in Musanze this week, I have had the privilege of experiencing not only Rwanda's extraordinary landscapes, but also the people and businesses that are quietly redefining what sustainable tourism can look like. @farmhouseRw is one of them.

What stood out to me was the authenticity of their approach. Much of the food served is grown organically on the farm itself, ingredients are sourced locally wherever possible, and there is a deliberate commitment to creating opportunities for the surrounding community through local employment and local procurement.

It is a model that demonstrates how hospitality, agriculture and conservation can reinforce one another rather than exist in isolation.

My congratulations to the entire team for creating an experience that is as thoughtful as it is welcoming.

Thank you for your generous hospitality, @farmhouseRw - and for showing that the most memorable places are those that invest as deeply in their communities as they do in their guests.

[Kaddu Sebunya @AWFCEO]

After an unforgettable morning with the mountain gorillas, the rest of the day offered an equally powerful reminder that conservation is measured not only by the wildlife we protect, but by the opportunities we create for people.

It was especially rewarding to return to the horticulture hub and see the progress made since my last visit a year ago. Witnessing how much it has evolved reinforced what long-term investment, government leadership, and strong community partnerships can achieve. Farmers are embracing climate-smart agriculture, restoring land while producing higher-value crops and more resilient livelihoods.

It is compelling evidence that conservation and economic prosperity are not competing ambitions. When designed well, they reinforce one another, creating healthier ecosystems, stronger local economies, and greater resilience for communities living alongside wildlife.

We also spent time at the Community-Based Tourism Center, developed through a local partnership with the @RedRocksRwanda. It is another example of how Rwanda has embedded communities at the heart of conservation. When local people are active participants and beneficiaries, conservation moves beyond protecting biodiversity; it becomes an engine for enterprise, cultural pride, and inclusive development.

I was especially pleased to once again be guided by Bigirimana Françoise, whose decades of experience tracking mountain gorillas have made him a living custodian of this remarkable landscape. His deep knowledge of the forest and the quiet respect with which he approaches these animals transformed a memorable trek into an experience of reflection and learning.

Sharing these experiences with my family made the day all the more meaningful. Once again, I am reminded that Africa's greatest conservation successes are built not only on extraordinary wildlife, but by extraordinary people.

[Ministry of Environment - Rwanda @EnvironmentRw]

Today, Minister @Dr_Arakwiye welcomed @AWFCEO for the signing of a renewed Memorandum of Understanding with @AWF_Official.

The partnership reaffirms our shared commitment to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and sustainable development.