NEW DELHI, SEP 6: Rwanda celebrated the 21st Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony on September 4 at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park, where 22 baby mountain gorillas were officially named.
The event brought together local communities, conservationists, partners and guests from Rwanda and around the world to celebrate the country’s mountain gorillas and the continued success of its conservation efforts.
The ceremony was graced by prime minister Justin Nsengiyumva as the guest of honour, alongside former Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi, former Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and former Tanzanian prime minister Peter Pinda Mazengo.
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Held under the theme “Conservation is Life: Sustaining the Future,” this year’s ceremony brought together distinguished namers from the fields of conservation, tourism, business, sport, entertainment, philanthropy and public service to name the newborn gorillas.
The event reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to protecting its natural heritage and advancing sustainable conservation.
Prime minister Justin Nsengiyumva, underscoring Rwanda’s commitment to conservation and community development, said: “In the early 1980s, there were only about 250 mountain gorillas left in the Virunga Massif. Today, there are more than 1,000 mountain gorillas in the world, including more than 600 in the Virunga Massif.
“The remarkable recovery did not happen by chance. It was built through the presence of rangers, the expertise of veterinarians and researchers, strong conservation policy, responsible tourism, and the recognition that no single actor could do this job alone.
“Protecting nature cannot be separated from improving people’s lives, just as national conservation efforts cannot be separated from international cooperation.”
Rwanda Development Board chief executive officer Jean-Guy Afrika emphasised that gorilla conservation requires continued cooperation and sustained effort.
“The mountain gorilla demonstrates what sustained commitment, strong institutions, community partnership and international partnerships can achieve. This is an extraordinary conservation achievement, but it is also a reminder that our work must continue,” he said.
Kwita Izina means “to give a name” in Kinyarwanda and is Rwanda’s annual gorilla naming ceremony. It is inspired by the centuries-old Rwandan tradition of naming children soon after birth.
Since its launch as an annual event in 2005, the ceremony has become an international platform celebrating Rwanda’s conservation achievements and recognising communities and partners involved in protecting mountain gorillas and their habitat.
With 22 gorillas named this year, the total number of gorillas named through Kwita Izina has reached 460.
