He said protecting mountain gorillas should not be viewed solely as a wildlife conservation effort, but must also go hand in hand with improving the lives of communities living around their habitats. These communities, he said, should directly benefit from the conservation of the gorillas.
The Prime Minister made the remarks on Friday, September 4, 2026, during the 21st Kwita Izina ceremony held in Kinigi, Musanze District, where 22 baby mountain gorillas were given names. The event attracted more than 1,000 participants from Rwanda and abroad.
Dr. Nsengiyumva said the naming of 460 gorillas over the past 21 years represents far more than an annual celebration.
“For us, Kwita Izina is more than a celebration. It is a commitment. This is an important day for Rwanda because it reminds us of the value of the natural heritage we have been given and the responsibility we have to protect it,” he said.
He highlighted the long journey Rwanda and its partners have undertaken to save the mountain gorillas, which were once on the brink of extinction. In the 1980s, only about 250 mountain gorillas were estimated to remain in the Virunga Mountains, largely due to poaching and other threats.
Today, the global population of mountain gorillas has surpassed 1,000, marking a significant conservation success.
Prime Minister Nsengiyumva said Rwanda’s progress in protecting the gorillas was not achieved by chance, but through collaboration between local communities, conservationists, researchers and other partners.
He stressed that the benefits generated by conservation must be shared with communities, noting that environmental protection cannot be separated from social and economic development.
“As you know, the names we give to the baby gorillas during this annual ceremony reflect our wish that they grow up safely, continue to reproduce and live well. That wish is what has brought Rwandans together with friends of Rwanda whom you have seen here, coming from different parts of the world,” he added.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Jean-Guy Afrika, also emphasized the importance of conservation to communities surrounding national parks.
He said conservation efforts directly benefit local residents through revenue-sharing programmes, which provide resources for community development and, in turn, encourage residents to continue protecting the parks and wildlife.
In the week leading up to Kwita Izina, Rwanda also launched the construction of model settlements under the “Smart Green Village” initiative. The project represents an investment of more than $49 million and is expected to support 547 households affected by the expansion of Volcanoes National Park by providing them with new homes.
Participants at the ceremony were encouraged to maintain their commitment to protecting mountain gorillas and building a future in which environmental conservation remains central to Rwanda’s development.
So far, more than Rwf23 billion has been returned to communities through conservation revenue-sharing initiatives. The funds have supported about 1,300 projects, including schools, health centres, water supply infrastructure and other development initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods.
Rwanda continues to present mountain gorilla conservation as a model of how wildlife protection, tourism and community development can work together, with the growing gorilla population providing both an environmental and economic benefit to the country.
