President Paul Kagame on Saturday, September 6, hosted a gala dinner to celebrate the 20th gorilla naming ceremony that was held on Friday in Musanze. The Gala Dinner hosted at Kigali Convention Centre was attended by hundreds of people, including namers of 40 baby gorillas, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, conservation experts and other partners. PICTORIAL: Glamour as Kwita Izina marks 20th anniversary in Kinigi It celebrated the role of community-centred conservation in national development. “In Rwanda, 10% of tourism revenue goes directly to the communities living around our parks,” Kagame said during the event. “It’s not just support - it’s an incentive to protect and sustain our shared heritage. To our friends and partners: Rwanda is your home. You are always welcome.” ALSO READ: First Lady Jeannette Kagame attends Kwita Izina The President also met separately with some of the namers and partners who attended Kwita Izina. At Village Urugwiro, Kagame received Jean Todt, UN Secretary General’s Envoy for Road Safety, and his wife, Michelle Yeoh, award-winning actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, both of whom named two baby gorillas. ALSO READ: Kwita Izina: Stories behind this year’s gorilla names President Kagame also received Mathieu Flamini, an Arsenal FC legend and co-founder and CEO of GFBiochemicals, who visited Rwanda to participate in the Kwita Izina ceremony. GFBiochemicals is a world pioneer in producing high-performing renewable alternatives to harmful petrochemical ingredients. He also met with Sang-Hyup Kim, Director General of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), who visited Rwanda to participate in the gorilla naming ceremony. He also met with a delegation from Marriott, led by David S. Marriott, Chairman of the Board of Marriott International, who named a baby gorilla. The President also met with football legends Luis Garcia and Bacary Sagna, who represented Visit Rwanda partners Atletico de Madrid and Arsenal FC, respectively. A total of 438 gorillas have been named since 2005, when Kwita Izina started.
