Rwanda is celebrating the 21st Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi, Musanze District, in Rwanda’s Northern Province, with 22 distinguished Namers joining communities, conservationists and partners to honour mountain gorillas and promote conservation.
Kwita Izina, meaning “to give a name” in Kinyarwanda, is Rwanda’s annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony, inspired by the centuries-old Rwandan tradition of naming children soon after birth. Since becoming an official annual event in 2005, the ceremony has grown into an international platform celebrating Rwanda’s conservation achievements and recognising the important role of communities and partners in protecting mountain gorillas and their habitat.
The ceremony is being held on Friday, September 4, in Kinigi, Musanze District, under the theme “Conservation is Life: Sustaining the Future.” Each Namer will have the honour of naming one of the baby mountain gorillas being celebrated during this year’s ceremony.
This year’s Gorilla Namers are:
- Shaikha Al Nuwais, incoming Secretary-General of UN Tourism and the first woman to lead the organisation in its 50-year history.
- Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, CEO and majority shareholder of Atlético de Madrid and a member of the UEFA Executive Committee.
- Paul Danforth, President of CAA Sports and a global sports executive who previously served as Senior Vice President of Sales for the New York Mets.
- Eng. Ahmed Sadek Elsewedy, Chairman of Elsewedy Electric, who leads a global energy and infrastructure company and is a partner in Rwanda’s electrification efforts. He will name alongside Anita Dravec.
- Israel Mbonyi, Rwandan gospel singer and songwriter whose music has built a major following in Rwanda and across Africa.
- Patrice Evra, former France and Manchester United captain, five-time Premier League champion and UEFA Champions League winner who earned 81 caps for France.
- Olivier Granet, Managing Partner and Co-CEO of Kasada Capital Management, one of Africa’s leading hospitality investment platforms and an investor in Mövenpick Hotel Kigali. He will name alongside Quitterie Granet.
- Garreth and Nicola Wood, global philanthropists and Co-Founders of Kids Operating Room (KidsOR), a global health charity dedicated to expanding access to safe paediatric surgery in low-resource settings. Garreth Wood MBE is also Chairman of The Wood Foundation.
- James Chester, Aston Villa legend and former Wales international. The former Villa captain helped the club return to the Premier League and represented Wales at UEFA Euro 2016.
- Susan Hollern, Founder and President of Hope Haven Rwanda, who has championed education and family transformation in Rwanda through Hope Haven since 2011.
- Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, acclaimed Rwandan filmmaker whose film Ben’Imana was selected for the prestigious Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
- Francesco Calvo, President of Business Operations at Aston Villa, with senior leadership experience at Juventus, FC Barcelona and AS Roma.
- David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and an International Olympic Committee member, who played a key role in bringing the historic 2025 UCI Road World Championships to Rwanda, the first held in Africa.
- Dominique Plewes, CEO and philanthropy leader and Founder of SOF Support Foundation, supporting research and humanitarian initiatives in conflict-affected communities.
- Alastair Fothergill, award-winning British filmmaker and producer renowned for nature documentaries including Planet Earth, Blue Planet and A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough.
- Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatari Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion, and one of the most accomplished high jumpers of his generation.
- Kelly O’Meara, Executive Director of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), advancing the protection and welfare of primates through Africa’s largest network of primate sanctuaries.
- Neil McDougall, Founder and Chairman of DelAgua, who leads the organisation’s work to expand access to clean cooking and improve livelihoods across Africa.
- Jeanette Uwimbabazi, Nyungwe National Park Ranger recognised for her courage in combating wildlife crime and her commitment to protecting Rwanda’s biodiversity.
- Dominic Barton, Chairman of Rio Tinto and LeapFrog Investments, and former Global Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company and Canadian Ambassador to China.
- Mamadou Sakho, former French international footballer and former Paris Saint-Germain captain who also represented Liverpool and Crystal Palace and earned 29 caps for France.
- Kenza Johanna Ameloot, Miss Belgium 2024 of Rwandan heritage, who uses her platform to advocate for children affected by cataracts while championing her Rwandan heritage.
A celebration of conservation
The Namers joined communities, conservationists, partners and visitors in Kinigi to celebrate Rwanda’s mountain gorillas and recognise the collective efforts that have contributed to their continued protection.
More than 1,060 mountain gorillas are now living in the wild across the Virunga Massif and Bwindi ecosystem. Their growing population shows the positive impact of years of cooperation between governments, conservation groups, researchers, veterinarians, rangers and local communities.
Since Kwita Izina became an official annual event in 2005, 438 mountain gorillas have been named through the ceremony, according to the Rwanda Development Board.
Moreover, the annual event has grown beyond the naming of gorillas to become an international platform showcasing Rwanda’s conservation achievements and the important role of communities and partners in protecting biodiversity.
Conservation benefiting communities
Kwita Izina also highlights the connection between conservation, tourism and community development.
Through Rwanda’s Tourism Revenue Sharing Programme, 10 per cent of national park tourism revenues is reinvested in communities surrounding protected areas.
As a result, more than RWF 23 billion has supported nearly 1,300 community projects to date, including schools, health centres, water infrastructure and livelihood initiatives.
This approach demonstrates how conservation and tourism can generate tangible benefits for communities living around protected areas while encouraging continued support for environmental protection.
Building a resilient future
Meanwhile, this year’s celebrations have also included the groundbreaking of the Smart Green Village in Kinigi, part of the wider Volcanoes Community Resilience Project.
In addition, Rwanda’s long-term vision includes expanding Volcanoes National Park by approximately 3,740 hectares and establishing approximately 6,620 hectares of buffer zones.
The broader programme is expected to improve livelihoods for more than 17,000 people, further strengthening the link between biodiversity protection, sustainable development and community wellbeing.
Ultimately, the 21st Kwita Izina reflects Rwanda’s broader conservation vision: protecting mountain gorillas and their habitats while ensuring that surrounding communities also benefit from the country’s natural heritage.
With personalities from different parts of the world and across multiple sectors joining the celebration, the ceremony continues to provide a global platform for promoting conservation, strengthening partnerships and inspiring collective action for future generations.
