Jamaican star Spice has visited Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where she named a Southern White Rhino “Spice Nankula Nile” and donated USD 10,000 (about Shs38 million) towards Uganda’s national rhino conservation programme, in a move that blended music, tourism and wildlife conservation.
The visit, organized by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) as part of Spice’s week-long immersive tourism programme ahead of her maiden concert in Uganda on 9th May at Lugogo Cricket Oval, was the most emotionally resonant moment of an already historic visit and one that is set to carry the story of Uganda’s remarkable rhino comeback to audiences across the globe.
Standing in the sanctuary’s open savannah with rangers at her side and the 59th resident of Ziwa grazing nearby, Grace Latoya Hamilton, also known as Spice, named her rhino Spice, a Luganda name meaning ‘one who belongs among flowers’ in what sanctuary officials described as one of the most meaningful naming ceremonies held since Uganda’s landmark World Rhino Day Naming Ceremony in September 2025.
“Standing here, watching Spice Nankula Nile graze in the wild, I am at a loss for words. Back home in Jamaica, we fight for many causes, but these animals have no voice. Learning about Uganda’s efforts to bring rhinos back from the brink of extinction inspired me to contribute. This donation is my small part in a larger story. Nakimuli is now my responsibility, and through her, I’ll share Uganda’s story with the world.” Spice stated.
She further shared, “I came to Uganda for a concert and am leaving with a rhino, a clan name, and a piece of this country in my heart. Spice Nankula Nile will grow up here in this sanctuary, and one day roam a national park. Every year I perform, I will tell this story. Uganda gave me something no stage ever has.”
The donation and naming ceremony represent a pivotal moment in Uganda’s Rhino conservation efforts. By 1983, both the black and northern white rhinos were declared locally extinct due to civil conflict, poaching, and habitat loss, marking a significant conservation loss for the continent.
The turnaround began in 2005 with the establishment of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a collaboration between Rhino Fund Uganda and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, covering 70 square kilometers of protected savannah and woodland in Nakasongola District, about 164 kilometers north of Kampala.
The sanctuary started with six Southern White Rhinos, four from Solio Ranch in Kenya and two donated by Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Through careful breeding and protection, the Ziwa population has grown to 59, making it a leading Rhinoceros Breeding Programme in Africa.
In January 2026, Uganda Wildlife Authority achieved its first-ever translocation of rhinos from Ziwa to Ajai Wildlife Reserve, returning the species to a landscape after over 40 years. Four rhinos have also been moved to Kidepo Valley National Park, with plans for more as part of Uganda’s National Rhino Conservation Strategy.
The long-term plan envisions plans include establishing Rhinos in Murchison Falls National Park and reintroducing Eastern Black Rhinos as well. This initiative is supported by the USD 11 million Name a Rhino campaign, launched in 2023 to fund habitat expansion, ranger welfare, veterinary care, and community engagement.
“Spice has done more than just write a cheque; she has given a name and personality to a symbol of Uganda’s conservation story. Each time she shares her Rhino called Spice’s story, she highlights Uganda’s achievements and ongoing struggles, showing visitors that they are part of something bigger. This is the essence of effective cultural tourism, and UTB is proud to have brought her here.” Juliana Kagwa, the CEO of Uganda Tourism Board, said.
Spice’s USD 10,000 donation will be directed towards the operational costs of the Ziwa sanctuary, including the ranger programme that sees approximately 78 rangers and security personnel guard the rhinos 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within a 70square-kilometre sanctuary enclosed by a two-metre electric fence.
“Uganda is not just protecting rhinos. We are rebuilding an entire ecological and economic system around them. Ziwa is already a critical stopover on the route to Murchison Falls, completing Uganda’s Big Five offering. As rhinos move to Ajai, to Kidepo, and in time to Murchison, this country becomes one of only a handful of destinations on the continent where visitors can experience the full spectrum of African wildlife. Spice’s donation and the global attention she brings to Nakimuli will help fund that future,” stated James Okware, a Senior Warden and the Uganda Wildlife Authority representative at the Naming ceremony.
The donation also contributes to Uganda’s broader goal of building a nationally distributed Rhino population capable of surviving and thriving across multiple protected areas, reducing the ecological risk that comes with concentrating an entire species in a single location.
