Celebrities including singers and football players were among international dignitaries that gathered in Kinigi at the foothills of the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda’s northern region of Musanze, to mark 20 years of the popular gorilla naming ceremony, Kwita Izina.
Forty (40) baby gorillas were named on Friday. These include 22 gorillas born in 2023 whose naming was postponed, as well as 18 gorillas born in the past year (2024–2025).
Kwita Izina which started as a tradition among park rangers has evolved to become the signature event that celebrates not only the new life of gorillas but also Rwanda’s wildlife conservation efforts.
Rwandan acclaimed singer, Bruce Melodie, performed some of his hits like Rosa, Saa Moya, Ikinya, Fu De Toi, Sawa Sawa, before crowds clad in green t-shits and caps that danced and sang along while they waved stick flags bearing the Rwandan colors and Kwita Izina. Other musical performances came from Chriss Eazy, Ariel Ways and Kivumbi King.
In 2005, Rwanda began officially naming mountain gorillas in what has become a global celebration of nature. Some 397 gorillas have been named over the last 19 years of the tradition.
On Friday, dignitaries from Africa and beyond took turns to give names to baby gorillas, revealing the baby’s gorilla family and the story behind the particular name.
The list of this year’s namers included Yemi Alade (Grammy-nominated Nigerian Afropop singer, songwriter, actress, and activist), Javier Pastore (former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder and international footballer from Argentina), Mathieu Flamini (former Arsenal midfielder) and Michael Benjamin Bay (American film director and producer).
Others were Michelle Yeoh Todt (Oscar-winning Malaysian actress and a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador), Khabane Serigne “Khaby” Lame (Senegalese-Italian TikTok influencer), Khadja Nin (Burundian singer and musician), Somi Kakoma (Grammy-nominated American-born singer, songwriter, playwright, and actress of Rwandan and Ugandan descent).
Luis Garcia (Spanish and Barcelona former professional footballer) and Bacary Sagna (French and Arsenal former professional footballer) were also present at the event and gave names.
The names varied, from ‘Burere’ (meaning upbringing), ‘Ntarungu’ (companionship), ‘Mwizerwa’ (reliable), ‘Impuguke’ (expert), ‘Rugwiro’ (hospitable), ‘Garuka’ (return), ‘Tekana’ (feel secure) and ‘Rubuga’ (platform).
Others are ‘Iwacu’ (our home), ‘Kundwa’ (loved), ‘Cyubahiro’ (respect), and ‘Rwandanziza’ (beautiful Rwanda).
The ceremony returns after the 2024 ceremony was postponed due to the Marburg outbreak in Rwanda.
Before the actual naming, Mashirika, a troupe of dozens of singers and dancers showcased Rwanda’s culture – music, dance – and the heritage that has made it a shining example of wildlife conservation. The multilingual performance used outfits symbolic of flora and fauna to tell the story of Rwanda’s biodiversity.
The latest gorilla census places the gorilla population in the Virunga massif – chain of volcanoes in East Africa, in the area where Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda meet – at 1,063.
Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the endangered mountain gorilla and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath.
Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.
Speaking at the Kwita Izina ceremony in Musanze on Friday, Jean-Guy Afrika,Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), revealed that the names given to the baby gorillas symbolize hope and continuity.
“Kwita Izina is more than a naming ceremony. This year’s theme reminds us that wildlife protection must go hand in hand with empowering the people that live alongside of it. Tourism anchored in conservation continues to drive our national transformation,” Jean-Guy Afrika said.
According to RDB, tourism generated $647m with gorilla tourism alone contributing over $200m for Rwanda in 2024.
A robust legal and policy framework has enabled an increase in forest cover now stands at 30% with nearly 9% of the land on the protected areas.
“Crucially, communities are benefiting. Through the tourism revenue share program, 10% of park revenues are systematically invested in local development. over 1,200 projects were supported including schools, health centres, homes, agriculture hubs, markets across the country,” the RDB CEO said.
The Prime Minister of Rwanda, Justin Nsengiyumva, stated that government of Rwanda has already put plans in motion to extend the Volcanoes National Park which is home to the mountain gorillas by nearly 25%, as a way of ensuring the next generation of gorillas has a secure home.
“We also encourage private sector participation in creating and managing sanctuaries and reserves supported through innovative public private partnerships,” Nsengiyumva, remarked.
When Dian Fossey – the American primatologist and conservationist known for undertaking an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups – began her pioneering work in 1967, she closely observed two main gorilla groups in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
She called them Group 5 and Group 4. Remarkably, these two groups went on to create entire dynasties.
Group 5 has the most-extraordinary story, branching into more than 16 new groups. Eight of these groups still exist and are actively studied today. Together, they account for more than 73% of the gorillas currently living in the area.
