Thousands attend Kwita Izina

NORTHERN PROVINCE KINIGI - Ululations filled the air yesterday at the foot of the Virunga Massif as thousands of Rwandans, foreigners gathered to witness the official naming ceremony of 18 new baby gorillas at the 5th Kwita Izina Ceremony. As the crowd waited for the actual naming ceremony to start, Inganzo Ngari, a traditional dance troupe showcased a musical display highlighting the value and need to protect Gorillas, mesmerising the huge crowd. Northern Province Governor Aime Bosenibamwe highlighted the importance of the naming ceremony and the gorillas in particular to the province. “We now have clean water, classroom blocks and good roads, thanks to the revenue from Gorilla tourism, the reason we need for all of us to contribute to their conservation and protection.” Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Deputy CEO Chantal Rosette Rugamba noted that the birth of every baby gorilla is an important step towards achieving the vision to ensure that the mountain gorillas are no longer the endangered species but the world’s best protected animals in the wild and natural surroundings. She said that what started as a local celebration of naming Gorillas has gained international acclaim since 2005 and has increased tourism earnings to a 3-fold. “Kwita Izina is a celebration of many things, first we celebrate our government which has ensured that tourism flourishes in a secure and enabling environment and secondly, we celebrate and applaud individuals and organisations involved every single day to protect the extraordinary primates.” People dressed to look like real life Gorillas emerged from the huts to the utter excitement of the crowd before the actual naming of the baby Gorillas started. Haithar Abdi Abdirahin, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) was the first to name a baby Gorilla. “…I name my baby Gorilla ‘Ejo Heza’ which means a bright future,” he said amid loud applause.Multi millionaire and conservationist Sabine Platner, Central Bank Governor Francois Kanimba, UN Year of the Gorilla Ambassador Ian Redmond, RDB CEO Joe Ritchie and Mnet’s Studio 53 presenter Gaetano Kaggwa were among the prominent guests who named a baby Gorilla. Ian Manzi Sekamana, who emerged best in last year’s national primary leaving exams named his Shishikara, meaning have courage. Prime Minister Bernard Makuza who represented President Paul Kagame, said that the ceremony marks an important milestone in conservation efforts, and promotion of tourism. He added that the social economic success should not be viewed in isolation from the protection of environment, but instead be handled collectively. “Our country relies almost entirely on natural resources, game reserves and biodiversity of tourism. If we neglect the environment and not actively mitigate the challenges facing natural resources, we are bound to face dire consequences,” Makuza said. Trade and Industry Minister, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, attributed the success of the tourism industry to the peace and security the country has experienced for the last 15 years. “The insecurity that posed a great danger to our gorillas and other wild animals is now history, thanks to the government which puts peace first,” she said, adding that the next step is to market East Africa as one tourist destination. The 5th annual Kwita Izina brought the number of gorillas officially named up to 103, and it was recorded that the twin Gorillas named by President Paul Kagame were healthy and the longest surviving twins in the Volcanoes National Park. Ends