Twenty-three baby gorillas were given names at the Kwita Izina held in Rwanda on 1st September 2023.
Rwanda held the popular Kwita Izina, an annual ceremony held at Kinigi on the foothills of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park aims at promoting conservation and tourism.
The well-attended ceremony attracted lots of visitors including world celebrities, dignitaries, conservationists and more. Among the world celebrities who graced the ceremony are Hollywood stars Idris Elba and Kevin Hart who even got the chance to name the baby gorillas.
The colorful event was also attended by Nigerian songstress Asa, and Zimbabwean-American actress Danai Gurira among others.
Kevin Hart named his baby gorilla “Gakondo” meaning “traditional” while Idris Elba and wife Sabina Elba named theirs “Narame” which means “long life”
Former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Bernard Lama chose to name a gorilla “Ramba” meaning sustainable.
This was the 19th edition of the annual Kwita Izina and the event has turned into a global celebration of conservation.
The Director General of UNESCO named her baby gorilla “Ikirango” meaning symbol of biodiversity conservation in Rwanda.
The ceremony was graced by Her Excellency the First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame. In her speech, the First Lady emphasized that mountain gorillas are a source of tourism. Therefore, Rwanda gorillas are custodians of a nature to cherish.
2023 Kwita Izina Namers
The Kwita Izina namers’ list is quite long. But you can find an exhaustive list at Kwitizina.org. Though all the people who are given the opportunity to name the baby gorillas are notable, it is mainly people from the entertainment industry who make most of the headlines.
All the invited guests have the opportunity to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. It is an experience like no other. Kevin Hart seems to have been the most vocal about his experience. He went gorilla trekking with his eldest daughter, son, and wife.
They had the opportunity to come face to face with a silverback mountain gorilla. Like many trekkers, the whispers of amazement were unavoidable. These moments were captured with their phones as memories that will stick with them forever.
Kevin Hart came out to share his gorilla trekking experience through Visit Rwanda as well as the reason to why he chose the name that he gave to the baby gorilla during the Kwita Izina ceremony. Comic as usual, he went ahead to highlight how he wants to be updated about Gakondo baby gorilla; from birth certificate to constant photo updates, and telephone chats with the gorilla among several other funny twists!
Kwita Izina is a reminder that conservation is of utmost importance to Rwanda. The government of Rwanda has been praised for its efforts in expanding the Volcanoes National Park and also ensuring that a safe gorilla haven is created for the apes.
In the presence of all the notable personalities, Rwanda often shares its conservation journey as well as its vision for the future.
Since Kwita Izina began, a total of 374 baby gorillas have been named. According to the Rwanda Development Board, the population of the gorillas in the Virunga Massif has grown by 23% according to the most recent census.
