Twenty-two mountain gorillas born in the last 12 months will be named during the 20th Kwita Izina Ceremony scheduled to take place on October 18, according to Rwanda Development Board (RDB). The ceremony, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the baby gorilla naming ceremony, locally known as Kwita Izina, will be held on the foothills of Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Musanze District, with guests joining the communities living around the home of the endangered mountain gorillas. ALSO READ: Kwita Izina: What gorilla namers said about Rwanda Since the beginning of the naming ceremony, first held in 2005, 395 baby gorillas have been named and the event played a pivotal role in helping Rwanda achieve remarkable growth in its tourism sector, according RDB Chief Tourism Officer Michaella Rugwizangoga. The event, Rugwizangoga said, helped the country achieve notable development in its tourism industry, which generated over USD 620 million in revenue, from 1.4 million visitors in 2023. This year’s Kwita Izina marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 20 years of this flagship event, Rugwizangoga said during a press conference held on Wednesday, September 25. READ MORE: Queen Kalimpinya to name baby gorilla at ‘Kwita Izina’ ceremony We will be naming 22 baby gorillas, and we are excited to welcome past and new namers from around the world, whose names will be revealed in the coming days, she added. Ariella Kageruka, the Head of Tourism and Conservation at RDB, noted that the expansion plan of Virunga Volcano Park is in the pipeline and RDB, in partnership with World Bank, is injecting USD300 million in the first phase of the project. Apart from the traditional naming ceremony, pop-up events will be organized in collaboration with the private sector, to bring celebrations to communities across the country. Other events aligned with Kwita Izina 20 include the Business of Conservation Conference slated for October 14-16, Kwita Izina Golf Tournament scheduled to take place on October 19, and Kwita Izina Gala Dinner, featuring performances from local and international artists. ALSO READ: RDB warns against scammers targeting Kwita Izina attendees Celebrities including football stars, movie stars, and music stars, alongside 20 top tourism personnel and journalists will all attend the ceremony next month. Gorilla tourism alone contributes 1% of Rwanda's GDP and is a key driver of local community development. Since 2005, Rwf12.86 billion has been used to fund 1,108 community projects, including schools, health centres, and dairy farms. These initiatives have empowered communities to become guardians of conservation, protecting both the wildlife and the environment surrounding national parks such as Volcanoes, Akagera, Gishwati-Mukura, and Nyungwe.
