Rwenzori Preservation Society
Ekitunga Ekikalinda Omusithu we Rwenzori
About
Ekitunga Ekikalinda Omusithu we Rwenzori, roughly translated as Rwenzori Preservation Society, was formed in 2025 by a team of mountain porters to protect the Rwenzori Mountains National Park shared by the countries of Uganda and The Democratic Republic of the Congo. As one of the least explored mountaineering destinations in the world, the Rwenzori Mountains continue to reflect the unspoiled character and beauty that drew Prince Luigi de Amedeo, the Duke of Abruzzi, to make the first ascents of the Rwenzori's six major peaks.
People
Ekitunga Ekikalinda Omusithu we Rwenzori is an organization created and led by the mountain porters of the Rwenzori Mountains. The porters, who spend more time in the Rwenzoris than any other group, are the ideal stewards of the park. Their familiarity with the park's wildlife, terrain, and history makes them uniquely qualified to preserve the park for future generations. The founding members of the Rwenzori Preservation Society are:
Porters
Mumbere Asheli
A porter for three years, Mumbere resides in Nyakabugha Village. His love for nature drew him to this profession, a path his grandfather also followed while working for the Duke of Abruzzi's 1906 expedition.
Thembo Jonus
Living in Kyahundu Village with his family, Thembo has served as a porter for three years. His father, Baluku Denis Limbali, is a founding member of Rwenzori Mountaineering Services. Like his father, Thembo enjoys exploring the national park when he is not in school or on expedition as a porter.
Thembo Boaz
Thembo has been a porter for seven years and calls Kisamba Village home. Inspired by his brother, a game ranger in the national park, he continues to work towards becoming a mountain guide. Thembo enjoys playing sports when he's not working.
Baluku Joachim
With fifteen years of experience as a porter, Baluku followed his father into this profession at a young age. Baluku lives in Kinyuku Village, and while he loves spending time in the mountains, he also finds peace in arts and crafts.
Mumbere Aaron
Mumbere, a porter for two years, resides in Bikone Village. His grandfather's enjoyment of the national park influenced his decision to become a porter. When he is not outdoors or in the mountains, he enjoys working on music and drama classwork.
Marahi Cosmas
Living in Nyakisabu Village, Marahi has been a porter for four years. Encouraged by his sister, who worked with Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, he started on the path towards becoming a mountain guide. He enjoys playing football when not on expedition.
Bwambale Josephat
A porter for sixteen years, Bwambale lives in Bikone Village. Inspired by his father, a mountain guide, he aspires to the same role and enjoys sharing the national park's beauty with visitors.
Kule Xavier
Kule, a porter for seven years, hails from Ruboni Village, where his grandfather is a cultural dancer. When not in the mountains, he dedicates his time to cultural music and storytelling.
Masareka Godwin
Residing in Ruboni Village, Masareka has been a porter for six years. His father is a cultural dancer in Ruboni. Masareka also finds joy in music and drama when he is not in the mountains.
Mumbere Phillip
Mumbere has been a porter for four years and lives in Kyanya Village. His father, a member of Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, instilled in him a love for exploration from a young age.
Fabiano Bakamwegha
With twenty-two years of experience as a porter, Fabiano resides in Kyarumany Village when he is not in the mountains. His father, a founder of Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, inspired a lifelong love of nature in him.
Mumbere Arnest
Living in Mihunga Village, Mumbere has been a porter for ten years. His mother is a member of Rwenzori Mountaineering Services. He enjoys showing new visitors to the park the beauty of the mountains.
Mentors
Bwambale Rogers
Bwambale has been a mountain guide for seven years. After six years of training as a porter, he spent worked as a mountain chef for seven years before being promoted to guide. He lives in Ruboni Village where his father was one of the founding members of Rwenzori Mountaineering Services. He loves guiding and sharing the beauty of nature with visitors.
Baluku Denis Limbali
Denis has been a mountain guide for thirty-five years. Prior to starting his career as a guide, he trained as a porter for five years. He lives in Kyahundu Village with his family. He was one of the founding members of Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, and he continues to find fulfillment in training less experienced guides. He is also inspired every day that he has the opportunity to guide new visitors in the Rwenzoris. He currently serves as a trustee of Rwenzori Mountaineering Services.
Support Staff and Volunteers
Gerard, Ronald, and Chris
Gerard, Ronald, and Chris have supported Ekitunga Ekikalinda Omusithu we Rwenzori since its founding. Gerard, an experienced guide for the National Outdoor Leadership School lives in Northern Uganda and enjoys cycling, photography, and animal husbandry textbooks when he's not in the mountains. Ronald, a long-time endurance athlete from Kampala and member of the Ugandan chapter of the Mountain Slayers, can be found making very important work phone calls from 5100m using his satellite phone. Chris fell in love with the Rwenzoris and the people of the Rwenzoris on his last mountaineering expedition and feels privileged to support the Rwenzori Preservation Society however he can.
Muhindo Anold Kanekerya
Muhindo has two years of experience as a guide with Rwenzori Mountaineering Services. Before being promoted to guide, he was a porter for seven years and a mountain chef for three years. He was inspired to start his professional career by his father who works as a mountain chef. Muhindo lives in Ruboni Village, and he loves exploring nature and contributing to environmental research.
Projects
Refuse Collection and Recycling
The porters of Ekitunga Ekikalinda Omusithu we Rwenzori have pledged to document their refuse collection and recycling efforts while on expedition in the mountains. Each kilogram of collected refuse is brought off the mountain and verified by Bwambale Rogers and Baluku Denis Limbali. These collection amounts are then validated by the support staff, and a small stipend based on the weight and piece-count of the collected refuse is paid directly via electronic remittance to the porters for their efforts.
Trash Collected and Removed from Rwenzori National Park (2025 YTD): 288 kgs
Contact
To donate, volunteer, or learn more about the Rwenzori Preservation Society, please contact us at: