Uganda will host its first-ever rhino naming ceremony on September 22 at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, an event that will be presided over by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The milestone marks a key moment in the country’s $11 million “Name A Rhino” conservation campaign, a five-year initiative aimed at securing and expanding Uganda’s rhino population.
The campaign, a partnership between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, will allow individuals, corporations, and philanthropists to symbolically adopt and name one of 17 rhino calves and juveniles. Proceeds will fund habitat expansion, veterinary care, anti-poaching efforts, and community conservation programs.
UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi hailed the ceremony as a celebration of Uganda’s rhino conservation journey. “We have come from extinction in the wild in the 1980s to now having 48 rhinos in Uganda,” he said. Since breeding began at Ziwa in 2006, 40 Southern White Rhinos have been born from an initial population of just six.
The Name A Rhino initiative will also support the planned reintroduction of rhinos into the wild, starting with Ajai Wildlife Reserve in West Nile. State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Martin Mugarra Bahenduka said the translocation will expand rhino range, link West Nile to the national tourism circuit, and open economic opportunities for surrounding communities.
“Rhinos are not only part of our natural heritage, but they are also an asset that can drive tourism, jobs, and sustainable growth,” Bahenduka said. “When you name a rhino, you are not just giving it an identity, you are securing its future and the future of conservation in Uganda.”
UWA has set up a rhino translocation committee to ensure the animals are moved to Ajai before year’s end. Uganda’s National Rhino Conservation and Management Strategy (2018–2028) targets an annual rhino population growth rate of at least 5%.
With rhino numbers on the rise and a growing focus on conservation-driven tourism, the event is expected to draw both domestic and international attention offering a symbolic and financial boost to one of Uganda’s most ambitious wildlife recovery projects.