Baby Gorilla namers for 2022. This year’s Kwita Izina is expected to be a spectacle.
Rwanda’s Annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony- Kwita Izina is set to return, this time, taking place on September 1, in Kinigi, Musanze district, at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda Development Board (RDB) confirmed on Thursday that the 19th Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony will be held on Friday, 1 September 2023 in the Northern Province district, where namers, invited guests and celebrities will join the communities living around the home of the endangered mountain gorillas in what is expected to be the ultimate celebration of nature and conservation.
What is new?
The ceremony will see the naming of 23 baby mountain gorillas born in the last 12 months, bringing the total of baby gorillas to be named since the inception of the naming ceremony in 2005 to 374.
RDB however is yet to reveal the names of the people who will be naming the baby gorillas. This year’s namers will be unveiled closer to the day, according to the government body charged with promoting tourism and investment. The namers will include notable partners, conservationists, international and local personalities, dignitaries and friends of Rwanda.
Local communities will benefit from the festivities this year.
The celebration will showcase Rwanda’s conservation efforts, including Rwanda’s successful low volume, high value approach to gorilla tourism that has enabled the gorilla population to thrive and provide better trekking experiences to visitors.
Current tourism figures show that Rwanda generated US$ 247 million in the first half of 2023, a 56% increase compared to US$ 158 million in the same period in 2022.
A sector on rebound
According to Clare Akamanzi, RDB Chief Executive Officer, the tourism sector is on a steady path to recovery with this year expected to perform even better than the previous year.
“We are excited to return to Kinigi this year for the 19th Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming ceremony. This year we celebrate the gains made in our tourism and conservation efforts, notably the majestic mountain gorillas,”
“Last year, Rwanda’s gorilla tourism was the best performing segment, and the trend shows that 2023 is expected to grow further and take us beyond recovery and towards our national targets. This means the communities are benefiting more, tourists getting enhanced experiences and the gorilla populations are thriving thanks to all stakeholders who actively participate in their daily conservation.” Akamanzi said.
Clare Akamanzi, CEO RBD, speaks during last year’s Kwita Izina ceremony.
Akamanzi added that Rwanda is looking to diversify tourism revenues by promoting other tourist attractions and new offerings such as the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events) and sports tourism industries.
This year’s Kwita Izina will also bring to the fore efforts by the Government of Rwanda to improve the livelihoods of park communities while enabling wildlife conservation through the Tourism Revenue Share Program.
Initiated in 2005, the Tourism Revenue Share Programme aims to guide investment in the areas surrounding the various national parks in Rwanda by ensuring that 10% of all park revenues is returned to the communities.
According to RDB, over Rwf 10 billion (about US$ 9 million) has been spent on more than 1,000 community-based projects around Akagera, Nyungwe, Volcanoes and Gishwati-Mukura National Parks since the start of the program.
This year, RDB will launch two community projects, including a maternity unit, potato seeds collection and conservation unit for residents to access maternal healthcare and quality seeds in Muganza Sector, Nyaruguru District in the Southern Province.
Additionally, RDB, in partnership with African Leadership University, will organise the 2023 Business of Conversation Conference on 29-31 August 2023.
Other events that will take place as part of this year’s Kwita Izina celebrations include the Rhino Velo Race in Akagera National Park, countrywide familiarisation tours for international tour operators and travel media, and a Kwita Izina concert.
The history of Kwita Izina
The Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony is modelled off a centuries-old tradition in which Rwandans name their children in the presence of family and friends. For three decades before the first official gorilla naming ceremony, park rangers and researchers named Rwanda’s mountain gorilla babies to monitor each gorilla in their family and habitat.
23 baby gorillas will be named this year.
In 2005, Rwanda began officially naming mountain gorillas in what has become a global celebration of nature. By giving a name to these majestic animals, they are given the value they undoubtedly deserve.
The ceremony is, first and foremost, an opportunity to thank the communities that live around the gorilla habitat, Volcanoes National Park, research partners, vets and the dedicated conservationists, rangers and trackers who protect the gorillas daily.
Over the last fifteen years, more than 350 mountain gorillas have been named. Today, Kwita Izina forms part of an ambitious strategy to preserve Rwanda’s natural heritage and further expand the role of tourism in the country’s transformation. As a result of the naming ceremony, Rwandans from all walks of life understand the intrinsic value of gorillas and their contribution to the country’s economic prosperity. Rwandans have become gorilla guardians.
The efforts have made Rwanda a conservation and sustainable tourism leader on the continent. While in the 2010 Census, there were 480 mountain gorillas, the 2016 Census report indicated 604 individuals in the Virunga Massif.
These efforts have contributed to the increase in mountain gorillas worldwide (1,063) and are categorised as no longer critically endangered. The annual event draws in celebrities and renowned conservationists from across the globe.
