In a world where conservation often evokes images of boots on the ground, rifles slung over shoulders and rangers patrolling thick forests, one man has added rhythm, song and drama to the fight for nature. Valerian Kisambira, the awareness and education officer at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), is redefining what it means to serve both people and wildlife.
A paramilitary conservationist with the heart of a performer, Kisambira has carved out platform, where law enforcement meets art, and where conservation education is delivered not just as information, but as inspiration.
His journey began in uniform, serving as a ranger with UWA, but his story could never be told without the stage. A proud graduate of Makerere University with a degree in Drama and Film, Kisambira fuses his artistic training with his conservation career, demonstrating that the arts are not a distraction from environmental work but a powerful tool to advance it.
‘I’m an actor. I know how to read a crowd, and how to move them.’ That understanding of human emotion and communication has made him one of the most effective educators in Uganda’s conservation landscape.
Through music, Kisambira has created advocacy that lingers long after the performance. His song Fallen Rangers is a solemn tribute to conservation heroes, who died in the line of duty, ensuring their sacrifices are remembered.
Another track, In the Jungle, is an energetic anthem celebrating the resilience of rangers, who work tirelessly to protect Uganda’s biodiversity. These are not just songs, but rallying cries-performed at awareness campaigns, ranger memorials, and national events, where they evoke both mourning and motivation.
Kisambira has also taken conservation to the screen. In 2020, he was the artistic director and lead actor in Taasa Ekkula, a television drama aired on Bukedde TV that tackled poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, the Uganda Wildlife Act of 2019, and the complex realities of human-wildlife coexistence.
The series reached millions of viewers and transformed primetime entertainment into a national conservation education campaign. For Kisambira, the camera is as potent a tool as the ranger’s rifle-each in its own way a weapon for protecting wildlife.
Yet his artistry stretches far beyond conservation messaging. He has featured in popular television series such as Salamia, Prestige, Hotel Mara and Popi, while also directing films like Salamia and Sweet Smiles. On stage, his repertoire is extensive, with productions including Kyekango, Mmaliride, Esobi yekyabakade, Kapapula, Siyomu, Togunsalira, Nkesa Lukya, Kabuze Kata and many others. Through his troupe, Ugaborns Entertainment, which he co-founded, he has nurtured talent and brought socially conscious theatre to communities across Uganda.
This year, Ugaborns marks a milestone-10 years of performance-with a production titled Scandalous! Onobiwulira!!, premiering at Club Obligato, a celebration of a decade of storytelling. What makes Kisambira remarkable is his refusal to abandon either side of his calling. Even after obtaining further qualifications-a Diploma in Wildlife Conservation and a Bachelor’s in Conservation and Natural Resources-he continues to direct, write, and perform, co-directing Ugaborns while serving full-time with UWA.
In his world, the ranger and the actor are not contradictions but complements. His life’s work demonstrates that conservation is not just about science, law, and policy-it is also about storytelling, song, and soul. Whether he is standing before an international forum, a village baraza, or a theatre audience, Valerian Kisambira speaks from the heart and performs with purpose.
In doing so, he embodies a powerful truth: saving nature is not only about protecting wildlife, but also about touching human lives in ways that inspire care, pride, and action. He is, in every sense, a ranger with a voice-one who sings, acts, and educates his way into the hearts of communities, proving that conservation, too, can take centre stage.