LUWEMBA
Sheraton Kampala Hotel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) to support gorilla conservation in Uganda through its iconic gorilla mascot, Zongo.
Under the partnership, Zongo stuffed toys will be on sale at the hotel, with part of the proceeds going directly to CTPH to support gorilla conservation, community health and livelihood programs around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The MoU signing, held at Sheraton Kampala, brought together conservationists, tourism stakeholders and Miss Uganda finalists, with a strong call for private sector involvement in protecting Uganda’s flagship species.
More Than a Mascot
Speaking at the signing, Sheraton Kampala General Manager, Jean-Philippe Bittencourt, said the partnership aligns with Marriott International’s sustainability commitment under its Serve 360 program.
“The species we are here to support today is very important. When we talk about tourism in Uganda, gorillas are our big difference compared to neighbouring countries,” Bittencourt said.
He noted that gorilla conservation cannot succeed without involving communities that live around the parks.
“Beyond the gorillas are also the communities that live around them. They have to be sensitised to the importance of gorillas for Uganda, for tourism and for the environment. They need to feel that they benefit from it, that it’s a way of sustaining their activities,” he added.
Bittencourt revealed that Marriott, which Sheraton joined in 2018, has more than 40 brands globally and is now expanding into lodge projects in Bwindi, with two to three luxury lodges under the Marriott flag in the pipeline. The group has set clear targets on conservation, waste management, tree planting and carbon footprint reduction.
“I am the chair of the business council for Marriott in Uganda, so I follow what each of the hotels is doing. We compile that and share it with the corporate office in the US. For an activity like this one, I will make sure they hear that here in Uganda, this Sheraton is supporting conservation. And this creates a lot of synergies and opportunities to attract more people to come to Uganda,” he said.
He also highlighted Uganda’s potential in bird tourism, noting that the country has over 1,000 bird species. The recently held second edition of the bird run attracted twice as many participants as last year, showing growing interest.
A Shared Commitment to Save Gorillas
CTPH Founder and CEO, Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, welcomed the partnership, saying it will help protect the endangered mountain gorillas while improving the lives of neighbouring communities.
“We are choosing to have this MoU with Sheraton because we feel it’s very important to get as much support as possible to protect the endangered mountain gorillas and support the local communities,” Dr Gladys said.
“Through Zongo, people will be able to take home a gorilla, connect emotionally with the mountain gorillas of Uganda and keep wanting to support them. Some of the proceeds will support our work, which improves the health of people, gorillas and other wildlife together.”
She explained that CTPH, which she founded 23 years ago with her husband Lawrence Zikusoka and co-founder Stephen Rubanga, works through an integrated approach, improving community health through Village Health and Conservation Teams, supporting coffee farmers bordering the park with better market prices, providing fast-growing seedlings to reduce forest encroachment, and planting over 200,000 trees last year alone.
“When you’re going to visit gorillas, you often cross coffee farms. These farmers weren’t getting a fair market price and were still entering the forest to meet their basic needs. Now through this venture, we’ll be able to support them, and also improve their health,” she said.
Dr Gladys recounted the journey of mountain gorillas in Uganda from just 300 in Bwindi during the first census in 1997, which she participated in, to over 1,063 today across Bwindi and Virunga. The growth led to their status being downgraded from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018 by the IUCN.
“That is a big gain. That is celebrating the success made by Uganda in gorilla conservation,” she said.
She noted that gorillas now generate about 60% of Uganda Wildlife Authority’s revenue, with chimpanzees contributing another 10%, making them Uganda’s true flagship species, now even featured on the 50,000 shilling note.
Sharing a personal touch, Dr Gladys said she learned motherhood from gorillas. Her book, Walking with Gorillas which was launched in audio version at Sheraton in August, chronicles her 23-year conservation leadership journey.
“When people made gorillas sick, one of my first cases as the first vet at UWA, I realised you couldn’t keep gorillas healthy without improving the health of their human neighbours. Because they went into people’s gardens and picked up diseases,” she explained.
She called on more Ugandans to visit Bwindi, noting that gorilla tracking for Ugandans costs about UGX 300,000 compared to $800 for foreign non-residents.
Driving Sustainable Tourism
Both Sheraton and CTPH emphasised that tourism remains one of Uganda’s economic pillars, and such partnerships demonstrate how hospitality businesses can create meaningful connections between guests and the environment while supporting conservation.
Through Zongo, guests and the public can now take home more than a souvenir; they take home a commitment to protect Uganda’s closest cousins.
