West Kili Forest Tour Challenge ropes in over 350 entries

SIHA: OVER 350 participants from within and outside Tanzania have turned out to participate in the West Kili Forest Tour Challenge 2026 competition held at the West Kilimanjaro Tree Farm, Siha District in Kilimanjaro Region, aiming to promote environmental conservation, forest tourism and health through sports.

The competition organized by the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) under the theme “Experience the Difference, Explore Life in Nature” included 5, 10 and 21 km races, cycling, motorbike races, forest walks as well as various eco-tourism activities.

Speaking at the closing of the competition, the Siha District Commissioner, Dr Christopher Timbuka, said the event has continued to be an important platform to promote Siha as a hub for nature tourism and sports while stimulating economic activities for the citizens through various tourism-related businesses.

Dr Timbuka commended TFS for continuing to organize the competition and said the Government will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders to ensure that it continues to grow and attract more participants from within and outside the country.

For her part, the Director of Siha District Council, Hellen Mwambeta, said the competition has contributed to encouraging citizens to exercise, improve health and at the same time increase revenue through services provided to visitors who come to participate in the event.

The coordinator of the competition, Mensieur Elly, said this year’s participants came from various parts of Tanzania including Kenya and Uganda, with other visitors from Germany and Scotland, which shows the increasing popularity of the competition internationally.

The Chief Conservator of the West Kilimanjaro Forest Farm, PCO Robert Faida, said the West Kili Forest Tour Challenge is part of TFS’s efforts to promote environmental conservation through sports and sustainable tourism, while providing an opportunity for participants to learn about the importance of protecting the Kilimanjaro ecosystem.

At the end of the competition, all participants were awarded commemorative medals in recognition of their contribution to promoting sports, forest tourism and environmental conservation, and various winners were given prizes while TFS promised to continue to strengthen the event to make it one of the biggest sports and tourism events in the country.