Rwandafully Classy: 40 Baby Gorillas Named

The 20th edition of Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s celebrated baby gorilla naming ceremony, was held in Kinigi yesterday. 40 mountain gorilla kiddos born since 2023 received their names, bringing the two-decades total of baby gorillas named to 438.

‌The ceremony welcomed many distinguished guests, including the First Lady Jeannette Kagame and the Prime Minister, Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva. Globally known figures and park rangers served as namers, headlined by Khaby Lam of TikTok fame. The names carried meanings like Burere (“upbringing”), Mwizerwa (“reliable”) and Umurage (“heritage).

From the huge audience at the heart of the Virungas we singled out Charlotte Beauvoisin, an East African travel blogger. Attending her third Kwita Izina, she says: “It was Rwandafully classy! I admired the stewards in designer-tailored gold tunics, that made them easy to spot. The entertainment was superb; hundreds of people, multiple rows of dancers in elaborate costumes and with crazy headgear, weaving modern textiles and traditional materials like banana fibres.”

‌The namers’ speeches reminded everyone why Kwita Izina matters. The CEO of Rwanda Development Board Jean-Guy Afrika spoke about how 10% of the park’s revenue is invested back into the surrounding communities — projects worth over USD 12 million have already funded schools, hospitals, markets, and homes.

‌There was a tribute paid to the rangers, guides, and trackers who spend their lives protecting the gorillas. Their work is the reason this conservation success story is possible.

“It was wonderful to see the rangers, of both sexes, still playing a central role. They actually know the gorillas and can name them based on their characteristics. But otherwise this was a different world compared to the first Kwita Izina I attended in 2013. In those olden days, we sat on plastic chairs in a windswept tent,” says Charlotte. “The eclectic mix of namers from all around the world impressed me, especially strong African women and film director Michael Bay who promised to make a movie about his gorilla baby one day.”

‌Rwanda plans to expand Volcanoes National Park by nearly 25%, so as the gorilla families grow, they will always have a safe home.

text by Dino Prince Rwikangura & Ornella Uwase Ndahiro; photos by Ornella Uwase Ndahiro & Miha Logar (featured image)

Interested in weekly stories about the gorilla national parks of Rwanda 🇷🇼, Uganda 🇺🇬 & DR Congo 🇨🇩? Follow us on Instagram or Facebook!