At a recent launch event in Nairobi’s leafy suburb, the air was thick with excitement. Guests mingled over glasses of wine alongside a menu of Uganda’s tasty traditional culinary delights.
The event, the launch of the just-concluded Rwenzori Marathon, Nairobi chapter, attracted top-notch personalities in the sport, tourism, and hospitality industry. One figure stood out; Lilly Ajarova – calm, radiant, yet commanding in her presence.
When she rose to speak about conservation and her new memoir, Echoes from the Mountains of the Moon, the room hushed – not out of formality, but out of respect.
Watching her, I was struck by the quiet power she exudes. That of a woman who has scaled both mountains of rock and mountains of circumstance.
And on this day, she joined the dignitaries, not only to celebrate East Africa’s outstanding Marathon, but also to launch her book: “Echoes from Mountains of The Moon – A Mountaineer’s Journey To Margherita Peak.
Born in 1969 in Angal Village, Nebbi District in northern Uganda, Ajarova grew up at a time when her country was unravelling under Idi Amin.
“Those were difficult years,” she says softly. “We had very little. Sometimes I missed school because of the war, but I always knew education was the only way forward. It was my liberation.”
Her parents, though both only children with no extended family around them, became her role models.
From her father, she inherited a different gift, a deep reverence for nature. On long walks, he pointed out plants, birds, and animals, teaching her that humans are not apart from the natural world but part of it. One memory, etched in her heart, remains pivotal.
“We came across a chameleon crossing the road. I was terrified. My father picked it up and placed it on his palm, then carefully set it on a tree. I watched as it calmly crawled away. That day, I learned that humanity and nature can live in harmony.”
This dual inheritance of compassion and conservation would shape Ajarova’s life’s work.
From Nebbi to the world
Despite the turbulence of her childhood, Ajarova excelled in school. She went on to pursue higher education relentlessly, earning a Postgraduate Diploma in International Tourism Management in Austria, a Master’s in Business Administration in Tanzania, and later an honorary Doctorate in Tourism and Hospitality Management from Commonwealth University, London.
Her career began not in boardrooms but in the wild. As Executive Director of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust, she led groundbreaking initiatives in primate protection and community engagement.
At Ngamba Island, she saw firsthand the delicate balance between livelihoods and conservation. “You cannot talk about protecting wildlife without involving communities who live side by side with them,” she insists.
Her leadership and innovation caught international attention. In 2019, she was appointed CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). Uganda’s tourism industry at the time was struggling with visibility, overshadowed by regional giants. But Ajarova saw an untapped gem. “It was not that Uganda lacked beauty,” she reflects. “We just hadn’t found the right voice to tell our story.”
With bold vision, she spearheaded the rebranding of Uganda under the now-famous tagline Explore Uganda: The Pearl of Africa. It wasn’t just a slogan; it was a repositioning of Uganda as an immersive experience where nature, culture, and adventure meet.
Under her stewardship, Uganda won multiple global awards and rose to prominence as one of Africa’s leading sustainable tourism destinations.
Colleagues credit her with redefining Uganda’s tourism identity. “Lilly didn’t just market Uganda, she gave us confidence,” recalls a UTB staff member.
Ajarova’s story is not confined to conference halls and policy papers. She has literally climbed mountains, including the daunting Rwenzoris. In 2022, she scaled Margherita Peak at 5,109 meters, a journey chronicled in her book Echoes from the Mountains of the Moon.
“The Rwenzoris are not for the faint-hearted,” she told me at the launch. “They humble you.”
The trek tested her endurance, battling freezing temperatures, slippery trails, and altitude sickness. Yet, standing at the summit, she found clarity. “I realised our challenges are like mountains. They appear impossible, but with persistence, teamwork, and faith, they can be conquered,” she told me.
Her climb became more than an adventure; it was a metaphor for her leadership journey, resilience in the face of uncertainty, courage in the midst of hardship and clarity of vision at the peak.
Mentorship and service
Now serving as a Special Presidential Adviser in Uganda’s Ministry of Tourism, Ajarova’s focus has shifted to strategy, policy, and regional collaboration. However, she sees mentorship as one of her most important roles.
“Tourism and conservation have long been male-dominated,” she says. “But women bring something powerful: empathy, resilience, creativity. We must take our place at the table.”
She mentors young professionals, particularly women, encouraging them to embrace boldness. Her mentees describe her as approachable yet demanding. “She expects excellence,” says one tourism officer. “But she invests in you. She listens, guides, and challenges you to think bigger.”