Rwanda Links Gorilla Conservation to Community Welfare at 21st Kwita Izina Ceremony
Rwanda's Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva used the 21st Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony in Kinigi, Musanze District, on Friday, 4 September 2026, to reaffirm that conservation and community development must advance together. Addressing thousands of Rwandans and international guests, he highlighted the recovery of mountain gorillas from approximately 250 individuals in the Virunga Massif in the early 1980s to more than 600 today - part of a global population now exceeding 1,000 - crediting rangers, researchers, responsible tourism, and cross-sector collaboration for the turnaround. Rwanda is expanding Volcanoes National Park to accommodate the growing gorilla population, with a $49 million Smart Green Village project launched last week to provide 547 affected households with modern housing, essential services, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The community benefit dimension of Rwanda's conservation model was further underscored by Northern Province Governor Maurice Mugabowagahunde, who noted that the Tourism Revenue Sharing Programme has funded 740 community projects worth Rwf8.6 billion across 12 sectors bordering the park in Musanze, Nyabihu, Burera and Rubavu districts since its inception. Communities will receive an additional Rwf2 billion this year. Rwanda Development Board CEO Jean Guy Afrika added that the park expansion is designed to simultaneously deliver more gorilla habitat and improved infrastructure and economic opportunities for neighbouring communities - positioning Rwanda's model as a benchmark for conservation-led tourism development on the continent.
Source: The New Times
