🏆 SACOLA Rallies Four Districts Behind Kwita Izina 21 Through Football

Kinigi, Musanze District — August 2026

The countdown to Kwita Izina 21, Rwanda's iconic gorilla-naming ceremony taking place in Kinigi on September 4, 2026, is on — and this year, the community got there through football.

The Sabyinyo Community Livelihood Association (SACOLA) proudly sponsored and organized the 2nd Edition of the Kwita Izina Community Football Tournament, a spirited, month-long celebration of sport, unity, and conservation awareness held in direct partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Musanze District, and the Northern Province.

🎯 Why a Football Tournament?

Long before the drums roll and the baby gorillas receive their names, SACOLA believes the true spirit of Kwita Izina begins in the community. This tournament was designed as a platform for community awareness and mobilization, reminding residents across the Northern Province that conservation is not just a ceremony — it is a shared, everyday responsibility that benefits everyone living around Volcanoes National Park.

By channeling that message through the region's most beloved sport, SACOLA and its partners turned playing fields into spaces of dialogue, pride, and collective ownership of conservation.

🗺️ Four Districts, One Goal

Teams from Musanze, Burera, Nyabihu, and Rubavu districts were invited to compete, turning the tournament into a true showcase of Northern Province unity around the shared cause of gorilla conservation.

⚽ How the Tournament Unfolded

Warm-up Friendly — August 14, 2026 | G.S. Kampanga Playing Ground
The tournament kicked off with a friendly warm-up match between the Musanze team and a combined RDB/SACOLA team, with Musanze edging the match 1–0.

Semi-Finals — August 21, 2026 (played simultaneously)

Musanze vs. Nyabihu: Musanze advanced with a 1–0 win.
Rubavu vs. Burera: Rubavu powered through to claim victory.

Women's Exhibition Match — August 27, 2026
Ahead of the men's final, women's football teams from Rubavu and Musanze faced off in an electrifying showcase match, with the Musanze women's team taking the win and energizing the crowd for what was to follow.

The Grand Final — August 27, 2026
In a thrilling finale, Rubavu District defeated Musanze District 2–1, crowning Rubavu as champions of the 2nd Edition of the Kwita Izina Community Football Tournament — winners not once, but two times over, having also triumphed over Burera in the semi-final.

🤝 A Community United

Throughout the tournament, local leaders, security officials, RDB representatives, and SACOLA staff stood shoulder to shoulder with players and fans — a powerful image of the partnership that makes community-based conservation work in the Kinigi landscape.

As the region now turns its full attention to Kwita Izina 21 on September 4th in Kinigi, SACOLA extends its heartfelt gratitude to RDB, Musanze District, the Northern Province, all four participating districts, the players, and the passionate fans who made this tournament a resounding success.

⛰️ See you in Kinigi on September 4th — Conservation is Life! 🦍