Meet Mr. Charles Njonjo, Kenya’s first Attorney General who was in Mgahinga national park to track gorillas as one of the activities leading to the celebration of his 100th birthday last month. The 99-year-old senior citizen of Kenya spent the better part of the cool morning of Sunday in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park tracking the gentle giants. He was flown in a chopper to Mgahinga a southwestern park in Uganda.

After successfully tracking the rare mountain gorillas, he was awarded the tracking certificate to confirm the successful gorilla tracking exercise accomplished “I was very lucky to see the gorillas two babies and two big bulls, (silverbacks)” Mr Njonjo confessed.

Kenyans, Ugandans and the global community alike took to social media to applaud Mr Njonjo for the great accomplishment to mark the centenary of life and share the delight.  “Great to know that a 100-year-old can do gorilla tracking. Happy birthday Attorney General Charles Njonjo,” many wrote on Facebook.

The Chairman of Uganda Tourism Board Hon. Daudi Mugereko described the visit by Sir Njonjo as a vote of confidence in Uganda as a tourism destination and it shows that the East African region can be marketed as a circuit.  “Gorilla tracking in Bwindi by Hon Sir Charles Njonjo former AG of Kenya is good news for our tourism industry. Getting leading personalities in East Africa taking interest in the various unique tourist attractions in the region does not happen every other day”, he said.

It should be noted that any fit person aged 15 years and above is eligible for mountain gorilla trekking and can take part in this experience any time of the year.

In 2019, CNN voted Bwindi impenetrable forest (Home of the largest number of Gorillas) as the best place to be in the World. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the world’s spectacular places, full of hidden and overt beauty in every corner that shouldn’t miss on a bucket list of one looking for an outstanding adventure on a Uganda Safari. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are sister parks that makeup Bwindi – Mgahinga Conservation Area. With a total population of 1,063 Gorillas in the wild of which 459 are in Bwindi and 604 in the Virunga massif, (shared between Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo), Uganda is home to over 50% of the global population of mountain gorillas.