Rwandan actress and activist Rosine Bazongere is set to lead a long-distance walk from Kigali to Musanze to promote conservation, tourism and wellness as part of an awareness campaign ahead of the annual Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony.
The two-day walk, covering about 100 kilometres, will begin in Kigali on September 2 and end in Musanze on September 3, a day before Kwita Izina on September 4.
The initiative is being held under the slogan "Walk for the Wild", with the message "Protect their home, protect our future."
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Bazongere, who is organising the initiative, said the walk is intended to encourage people to explore Rwanda while also promoting conservation and healthy lifestyles.
"It's awareness of conservation, tourism, wellness, all that together," she said.
The walk will start in Kigali, with participants spending the first night in Nyirangarama, about 45 to 50 kilometres from the capital. The second day will cover the remaining distance from Nyirangarama to Musanze.
While the distance from Kigali to Musanze is about 100 kilometres, the route from Kigali to Kinigi is approximately 116 kilometres.
Bazongere said participants do not have to complete the entire journey to take part. They can join for five kilometres, a full day or even half a day, as long as they support the conservation message.
She also encouraged individuals and institutions to support the initiative, saying conservation should be regarded as a shared responsibility.
"Let's all know that conservation is our responsibility," she said.
The walk is open to anyone who wishes to participate, including community members, influencers and government officials.
"This is awareness for all of us Rwandans. So, it's not for me, it's not for anyone else," she said.
Participants will generally be responsible for their own needs, although organisers are still looking for partners to provide necessities such as water, snacks and accommodation.
A sponsor has already provided T-shirts, caps and flags, which Bazongere said would symbolise unity among people supporting the same cause.
A hospital is also supporting the initiative as a health and wellness partner. Its doctors and nurses will be available to provide first aid and attend to participants who may experience health problems along the route.
The organisers have planned several stopovers where participants can drink water, eat, stretch and rest before continuing the journey.
The stopovers will also provide opportunities for government officials and other participants to engage communities along the route and share messages about conservation.
However, Bazongere noted that the two-day journey would leave limited time for dedicated tourism activities along the route.
Building on previous walks
The initiative builds on Bazongere's previous long-distance walks, which she has used to raise awareness about various social and health issues.
Her interest in long-distance walking grew from an initiative called "Walking for a Healthy Body and Mind", through which she promotes walking as a simple activity that can benefit both physical and mental well-being.
Her first long-distance walk was held in October 2024 as part of Kwita Izina. She covered 116 kilometres, describing the journey as both a personal challenge and a test to determine whether she could undertake long-distance walks.
In March 2025, she walked 150 kilometres from Kigali to Rubavu to raise awareness about physical activity and mental health.
On May 3 and 4, 2025, she undertook a 24-hour non-stop walk as part of a cancer awareness and fundraising campaign aimed at supporting people who cannot afford cancer treatment.
Her most recent walk, in February 2026, took her from Kigali to Nyagatare, covering about 160 kilometres. The campaign focused on teenage girls, unwanted pregnancies and menstrual health, while also raising funds to provide sanitary pads to girls in need.
Bazongere said the Nyagatare walk had a significant impact because it helped spread the message that protecting young girls, supporting their education and safeguarding their future is a shared responsibility. She said this responsibility extends to everyone, including parents, neighbours and the wider community, particularly when it comes to preventing unwanted pregnancies.
The walk also gave her an opportunity to interact with young people along the route, engage with government leaders and reach schoolgirls, including students at GS Nyagatare Secondary School. Journalists and influencers also supported the campaign by helping amplify its message on social media.
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ALSO READ: Actress Bazongere walks 160 kilometers to raise awareness about menstrual health
Bazongere said the campaign's greatest impact was not the distance covered but the message behind the walk and the sense of responsibility it encouraged among communities. However, she acknowledged that the campaign did not raise as much money as expected or reach as many girls as initially intended.
She said contributions from individuals, both financial and in other forms of support, enabled the campaign to provide sanitary pads to around 400 girls. She added that another awareness campaign focusing on the same issues is planned for February next year. This time, she plans to engage NGOs and larger institutions to secure greater support and reach more girls with sanitary products.
The upcoming walk to Kwita Izina will begin at 6 a.m. in Kigali, with the exact starting location to be communicated later. People interested in joining the walk will be required to register through a form that will be shared on the organiser's social media platforms.
