In the Inkomo football tournament organized by Nyungwe National Park, Uwinkingi Sector in Nyamagabe District won the men’s title, while Mahembe Sector in Nyamasheke District claimed the women’s trophy.
The tournament concluded in Uwinkingi Sector, Nyamagabe District, on Sunday, August 16, 2026. In the men’s final, Uwinkingi defeated Nkungu Sector of Rusizi District 1-0 to lift the trophy. In the women’s category, Mahembe beat Ruheru Sector of Nyaruguru District 3-0.
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Tournament Promotes Conservation Awareness
Kabalisa Jean Prospère, who represented Nyungwe National Park at the closing ceremony, told Rebero.rw that the tournament is an annual event that has been held for four years. It is named after one of the animals found in the park, the Inkomo, which is among the endangered species in the park.
He said the animal was chosen because it is beautiful, friendly to local communities and rarely seen, making it a symbol of the strong friendship that should characterize relations between the park and surrounding communities.
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He explained that the tournament is organized to give communities living around the park an opportunity to enjoy themselves while helping them better understand the importance of the park through messages aimed at encouraging its conservation.
Commenting on how the tournament went, Kabalisa said: “It went very well. Large numbers of residents came to the stadiums to watch all the scheduled matches. There were no problems. The people showed us great excitement and demonstrated that they love their park. They also showed that they clearly understood and appreciated all the conservation messages delivered during the tournament, as they normally do.”
Residents Call for More Sporting Activities
Residents who spoke to Rebero.rw also expressed satisfaction with the tournament and called for more sporting activities and for the number of times such competitions are held each year to be increased.
Mukiza Ferdinand, 42, said: “We are extremely happy about this football tournament, which brought together such a large crowd and provided important messages from leaders about conserving this park while reminding us of its importance. People who had not seen each other for a long time met and socialized, which was really encouraging. We would like tournaments for older people to also be organized so that we can show the young generation that we still have what it takes. That would make the event even more enjoyable.”
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Mukeshimana Virginie, 16, a Primary Six student, said holding the tournament during the school holidays was another major achievement for the park’s conservation awareness campaign.
“Organizing these competitions during the holidays is another goal scored by the park in its efforts to carry out extensive awareness campaigns, as you can see how many of us are here. We come to watch football while also learning things we did not know about the park. We are asked questions and those who know the answers respond, while those who do not know learn,” she said.
She added: “We would like them to add more sports and increase the number of times these competitions are organized each year so that the conservation messages can continue reaching us.”
Players and leaders of the winning teams and their respective sectors also expressed their excitement.
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Mahembe Celebrates Second Consecutive Victory
Musabyimana Justin, president of the Mahembe women’s team, which has won the tournament twice consecutively as well as the national-level Umurenge Kagame Cup twice in a row, said participating in and valuing competitions organized by the park was essential.
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Mahembe Sector Executive Secretary Hagabimfura Pascal (right) and the sector’s women’s team president, Musabyimana Justin, thanked residents for supporting them to win the trophy.
“We are very pleased to have achieved what we worked for during this tournament. We have won the trophy. We owe this success to the good governance championed by President Kagame, cooperation among the players and coaches, support from local authorities, and the residents. The messages delivered during the tournament are very important, which is why participating in and valuing these competitions is essential for us,” he said.
Hagabimfura Pascal, Executive Secretary of Mahembe Sector, shared the same view.
he said: “When young people participate in sport like this, and such an event is organized with this level of commitment, it shows that Nyungwe National Park is among the people and is very close to them. They cannot come to support these games in such large numbers and then leave the messages they receive on the pitch. That is impossible. That is why, as leaders, we also come out to support and value these activities because we understand their benefits to our communities.”
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Uwinkingi Links Victory to Conservation
Amid the celebrations by Uwinkingi players and sector authorities, they said winning the trophy was not the only achievement, noting that their actions toward the park also demonstrated their increased awareness of conservation.
Nganji Sebahinzi Alain, captain of the Uwinkingi men’s team, said: “We are happy because we also breathe the fresh air that comes from this park. Without it, we would not be able to celebrate like this. We greatly thank Nyungwe National Park for bringing us together in this way. We promise not to disappoint it. As young people, we will continue contributing to its conservation.”
Furaha Guillaume, Executive Secretary of Uwinkingi Sector, said winning the trophy after defeating every sector they faced also demonstrated the high level of awareness among residents regarding the need to further conserve the park.
he said: “This is a very good awareness campaign, and we strongly support it as communities living around this park. We demonstrated this by turning up in large numbers for the tournament, winning it, and further recognizing the importance of the park to our development. It supports us by providing infrastructure through the sharing of benefits generated from it. Conserving it is our responsibility as residents who have the great opportunity of living near it, an opportunity that many people do not have.” More than 4,000 residents attended the final matches.
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24 Sectors Took Part in the Tournament
The tournament began on July 28, 2026, and concluded on August 16. It featured football only, with separate men’s and women’s competitions. It brought together all 24 sectors from the five districts in which Nyungwe National Park is located.
At the closing ceremony, Nyamagabe District Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Development, Habimana Thadée, thanked President Paul Kagame, whom he said the people owe these celebrations to because of his personal passion for sports.
He also thanked Nyungwe National Park for organizing the tournament, as well as the participants and everyone who contributed to its successful organization.
He emphasized that the park is a major opportunity given by God to the communities living around it and urged them to continue protecting it so that the benefits they derive from it, compared with those enjoyed by people who do not live near it, can translate into tangible development.
