The 21st edition of Kwita Izina will be held on September 4 in Kinigi, Musanze District, with 22 baby mountain gorillas set to be named as Rwanda celebrates efforts that have enabled a once-endangered species thrive. This year’s edition will be held under the theme “Conservation is Life: Sustaining the Future”, with organisers positioning the annual gorilla naming ceremony as a platform to highlight the link between wildlife protection, tourism, economic opportunities and community development. ALSO READ: 22 baby gorillas to be named at Kwita Izina 2026 Since becoming an official annual event in 2005, Kwita Izina has named 438 baby gorillas, Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Over the years, the ceremony has grown beyond the naming of gorillas to bringing together conservationists, researchers, policymakers, tourism stakeholders, business leaders and international visitors to highlight conservation efforts and the role of communities in protecting the primates. In this article, The New Times looks at the key milestones from two decades of Kwita Izina. ALSO READ: Tourism: Rwf23bn to be injected into communities around parks 1. Gorilla population continues to grow Today, close to 1,100 mountain gorillas live in the wild across the Virunga Massif shared by Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo, according to RDB. There were about 430 gorillas in the region when Kwita Izina began. The increase in the gorilla population follows decades of conservation work involving governments, conservation organisations, researchers, veterinarians, rangers and local communities. Eugene Mutangana, the Executive Secretary of the Rwanda Nature Foundation (RNF), said the progress demonstrates the connection between conservation and economic development. “For over two decades, Kwita Izina has showcased Rwanda’s belief that conservation is not simply about protecting wildlife. It is about creating opportunities for people, supporting communities, growing tourism and ensuring that future generations inherit a healthy and thriving natural environment,” he said. 2. Tourism growth The conservation gains have coincided with growth in Rwanda’s tourism sector. Tourism revenues reached a record $685 million in 2025, up from $647 million in 2024, while visitor arrivals increased by 9 per cent to 1.49 million, according to RDB. National parks recorded 155,394 visits in 2025, generating $40.8 million in revenues. Volcanoes National Park, home to the mountain gorillas, was the largest contributor, generating $35.8 million in revenues. Domestic tourism also increased, with national park visits by Rwandans rising by 8.1 per cent to more than 59,000 during the year. Mutangana said gorilla trekking remains the country’s leading tourism attraction, while investment in other national parks is helping diversify tourism experiences. 3. Revenue sharing protects The conservation model has a sharing of tourism revenues with communities living around protected areas concept. Through the Tourism Revenue Sharing Programme, 10 per cent of national park tourism revenues is reinvested in community development around protected areas. More than Rwf23 billion has so far been invested in nearly 1,300 community projects, according to RDB. The projects have supported schools, health centres, water infrastructure, livelihood initiatives and other community priorities. The programme is intended to ensure that communities living near protected areas directly benefit from tourism and conservation. 4. Plans to expand Volcanoes National Park This year’s Kwita Izina will also mark the launch of the Smart Green Village, which is part of the Volcanoes Community Resilience Project and a longer-term plan to expand Volcanoes National Park by about 23 per cent. The plan includes expanding the park by approximately 3,740 hectares and establishing about 6,620 hectares of buffer zones. According to Mutangana, the programme is expected to create additional habitat for the growing mountain gorilla population while supporting more sustainable land use. It is also projected to improve livelihoods for more than 17,000 people, equivalent to about 3,400 households, while reducing human-wildlife conflict by 80 per cent. 5. What to expect at Kwita Izina 2026 Twenty-two baby mountain gorillas will be given names by distinguished guests from Rwanda and abroad, representing conservation, business, sports, entertainment, philanthropy and public service. The full list of namers is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Other activities planned for this year’s Kwita Izina include international travel trade and media familiarisation trips, a conservation exhibition in Kinigi, screenings of the Netflix documentary A Gorilla Story in Kigali and Musanze, gorilla trekking experiences and the Kwita Izina Concert at BK Arena.
