Senegalese-Italian TikTok star and global content creator Khabane Lame, widely known as Khaby Lame, has been confirmed among the baby gorillas namers for the 20th edition of the Kwita Izina ceremony scheduled on Friday, September 5 in Musanze District.
The annual celebration, which attracts thousands of people from around the world, will see 40 baby mountain gorillas named, including 18 born in 2024.
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Khaby, the most-followed person on TikTok, is known worldwide for his humorous videos simplifying "life hacks” without saying a word. He has been recognized by Fortune and Forbes as one of the most influential young people in the world and continues to be a leading figure in digital content creation.
Khaby joins a diverse group of at least 25 namers confirmed so far by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). The list includes global business leaders, conservation experts, football players, park rangers, and even royalty.
To name the few in entertainment industry include Michelle Yeoh, an Oscar-winning Malaysian actress and a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, Grammy-nominated Nigerian Afropop singer, songwriter, actress, and activist Yemi Alade, former Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina midfielder Javier Pastore, former Arsenal stars Bacary Sagna and Mathieu Flamini, Princess Ingeborg zu Schleswig-Holstein, a German-born artist and philanthropist and many more.
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Besides Khaby, the latest list released includes Ruth Fisher, Corporate Attorney and President of Pereg Holdings; Matthew Harris, Founding Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners; Jean de Dieu Niyonzima, a student at the Educational Institute for Blind Children in Nyaruguru District; and Jean Marie Vianney Zirimwabagabo, a ranger at Volcanoes National Park.
Organized by RDB, Kwita Izina is more than just a cultural event as it has become an international platform for conservation, highlighting Rwanda’s commitment to protecting endangered mountain gorillas and recognizing the efforts of communities, rangers, trackers, and researchers.
This year’s celebration comes after the 2024 edition was postponed due to a Marburg virus outbreak in the country. Since the tradition began in 2005, nearly 400 baby gorillas have been named.