On Friday, 5 September 2025, Rwanda will celebrate the 20th edition of Kwita Izina, the country’s flagship Gorilla Naming Ceremony, at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi. This year, 40 baby mountain gorillas will be named, including 18 born in 2024 and 22 born the year before. The ceremony will bring together an extraordinary group of global leaders, artists, football legends, and conservation champions, alongside local rangers, trackers, and veterinary experts. The event underscores the crucial role of communities in protecting Rwanda’s biodiversity and sustaining mountain g

On Friday, 5 September 2025, Rwanda will celebrate the 20th edition of Kwita Izina, the country’s flagship Gorilla Naming Ceremony, at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi. This year, 40 baby mountain gorillas will be named, including 18 born in 2024 and 22 born the year before. The ceremony will bring together an extraordinary group of global leaders, artists, football legends, and conservation champions, alongside local rangers, trackers, and veterinary experts. The event underscores the crucial role of communities in protecting Rwanda’s biodiversity and sustaining mountain gorilla populations.The 20th Kwita Izina ceremony welcomed a distinguished group of namers from around the world. Among them was Princess Ingeborg Zu Schleswig-Holstein, a German artist, philanthropist, and Chairperson of the Louisenlund Foundation. Representing Malaysia was His Highness Tunku Ali Redhauddin ibni Tuanku Muhriz, Prince of Negeri Sembilan and President of WWF Malaysia. From the health and humanitarian sector, Professor Senait Fisseha MD, JD, Vice President of Global Programs at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and Chief Advisor to the WHO, also took part. Sang-Hyup Kim, Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), joined the celebration, alongside David S. Marriott, Chairman of Marriott International. Science was represented by Dr Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group and science popularization vlogger. Conservation leaders Charlie Mayhew and Caroline Mayhew, Co-founder and CEO of Tusk Trust, were also among the namers, as was Claver Ntoyinkima, Senior Ranger Guide and Trainer at Nyungwe National Park. The arts and film world was represented by Michael Bay, the award-winning American director and producer, and Michelle Yeoh Todt, an internationally acclaimed actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. She was joined by Jean Todt, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, motorsport executive, and former President of the FIA. Matthew Harris, Founding Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners and Senior Managing Director at BlackRock, also participated. From the cultural and humanitarian sector, Jeanine Rema (Khadja Nin), the acclaimed Burundian singer and songwriter, took part. Mathieu Flamini, Arsenal legend and CEO of GFBiochemicals, joined fellow artists such as Laura Kabasomi Kakoma (‘Somi’), Rwandan-American vocalist and playwright, and Yemi Alade, Grammy-nominated Nigerian Afropop singer. Philanthropist Reed Oppenheimer, Chairman and CEO of the Reed Jules Oppenheimer Foundation, and Athanasie Mukabizimungu, Founder and Chairperson of Imbereheza Gahunga, were also honored. Education and youth empowerment were represented by Dr Edward Hult, CEO of Education First North America, and Suzanne Sinegal, Co-Founder and President of the Rwanda Girls Initiative and Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology. Conservationist Gagan Gupta, recognized for building Africa’s green future, and Camille Rebelo, Founder and CEO of EcoPlanet Bamboo, also named gorillas. Sports icons were part of the ceremony, including Luis Garcia, Atlético de Madrid legend and ESPN analyst; Bacary Sagna, Arsenal legend; and Javier Pastore, PSG legend. The environment and conservation fields were represented by Xi Zhinong, renowned Chinese wildlife photographer and founder of Wild China; Lee Ehmke, former President and CEO of Houston Zoo; and Susan Chin, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Advancement at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Other notable figures included Ruth Fisher, corporate attorney and President of Pereg Holdings; Vivien Ressler, creative and philanthropist; and Jean de Dieu Niyonzima, a student from the Educational Institute for Blind Children in Nyaruguru District. In addition, several Virtual Namers contributed to the event. These included Khaby Lame, the globally renowned content creator; Alliance Umwizerwa, Gorilla Research Assistant at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund; Dr Gaspard Nzayisenga, Field Veterinarian with Gorilla Doctors; and rangers Dieudonne Gato, Brenda Umutoni, Jean Marie Vianney (JMV) Zirimwabagabo, and Naume Mukabarisa from Volcanoes National Park. Supporting them were Theogene Bimenyimana, Head Tracker at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and Leonard Nsengiyumva, Data Technician at the same institution. RDB Chief Tourism Officer, Irène Murerwa, said:“Kwita Izina 2025 celebrates 20 years of honoring mountain gorillas and the communities that protect them. The dedication of rangers, trackers, and researchers, alongside global and local champions, has helped increase the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga Massif from 880 in 2012 to over 1,060 today. Through initiatives like the Tourism Revenue Share Programme, conservation directly benefits communities, demonstrating that when nature thrives, so do people. This milestone reminds us of our shared responsibility to safeguard biodiversity for generations to come.” The 20th Kwita Izina gorilla ceremony will be MC-ed by Makeda Mahadeo and Lion Manzi, featuring a performance by artists from Mashirika Performing Arts and Media Company, celebrating two decades of community-centered conservation.

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