Rwanda to Name 22 Baby Gorillas at 21st Kwita Izina Ceremony
Rwanda will name 22 baby mountain gorillas at the 21st edition of Kwita Izina, scheduled for 4 September 2026 in Kinigi, Musanze District. This year's programme extends beyond the naming ceremony itself, incorporating a community project launch, a conservation exhibition, gorilla trekking experiences and international travel media and trade familiarisation trips. The event also marks a broader conservation and community development milestone: more than Rwf23 billion - approximately US$16 million - has been invested in nearly 1,300 community projects since Kwita Izina began, spanning schools, health centres, water infrastructure and livelihood initiatives.
The announcement was made by Eugene Mutangana, Executive Secretary of the Rwanda Nature Foundation (RNF), which manages Volcanoes National Park. Since the ceremony's inception in 2005, a total of 438 mountain gorillas have been named. The Virunga Massif, shared by Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, is now home to 1,100 mountain gorillas - the only great ape population recorded to be consistently growing. The ceremony has become one of Africa's most recognised conservation tourism events, drawing international attention to Rwanda's model of linking wildlife protection with tangible community benefit.
Source: The New Times