The ceremony was marked by colourful cultural performances and music, as 22 distinguished Namers from Rwanda and around the world gave names to the baby gorillas.

Among those who took part in the celebrations were former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, alongside personalities from business, sport, entertainment, conservation and philanthropy.

Rwandan gospel singer Israel Mbonyi named a baby gorilla from the Izuba family Impeta, meaning “an award and a symbol of recognition.”

Miss Belgium 2024 Kenza Johanna Ameloot, who is of Rwandan heritage, named a male baby gorilla from the Umbano family Nkwakuzi, meaning “a brave person.”

“I am sure he will be the strongest and kindest gorilla in the park,” Ameloot said while announcing the name.

Ahmed Sadek Elsewedy, Chairman of Elsewedy Electric, and his wife Anita Dravec named another baby gorilla Rugamba, meaning "Fighter".

David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and a member of the International Olympic Committee, named a baby gorilla Muhuza, a name meaning “the one who brings people together and connects.”

The ceremony also featured an energetic performance by Rwandan music star The Ben and his crew, adding to the festive atmosphere in Kinigi.

The event has become one of Rwanda’s most prominent annual conservation celebrations since it was officially launched in 2005. Over the first 20 editions, 438 gorillas had been named, bringing the cumulative number to 460 with the 22 named on Friday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Dr Justin Nsengiyumva said Kwita Izina was inspired by the Rwandan tradition of naming children in the presence of family, friends and neighbours.

“Because a name for us is more than a celebration. It is a promise,” he said, adding that the promise extended to protecting the gorillas, their habitat and the conditions they need to grow and reproduce.

The Prime Minister said the recovery of the mountain gorilla population had taken decades of work involving rangers, veterinarians, researchers, government institutions, conservation organisations, communities and international partners.

In the early 1980s, only about 250 mountain gorillas remained in the Virunga Massif. Today, more than 1,060 mountain gorillas live in the wild across the Virunga Massif and Bwindi ecosystem, making the mountain gorilla the only great ape whose population is increasing.

Jean-Guy Afrika, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board, said the 22 births represented hope and demonstrated what sustained conservation efforts, strong institutions, community ownership and international partnerships can achieve.

“Each new birth represents hope,” Afrika said.

He affirmed that Rwanda’s conservation approach seeks to ensure that protecting nature goes hand in hand with improving people’s lives.

That approach is also reflected in plans to expand Volcanoes National Park by about 3,740 hectares and establish approximately 6,620 hectares of buffer zones to create more habitat for the growing gorilla population.

The government has also launched the Smart Green Village in Kinigi as part of the wider Volcanoes Community Resilience Project. The project is expected to provide modern housing, services and livelihood opportunities to 547 households affected by the park’s expansion, with an investment of more than $49 million.

Prime Minister Nsengiyumva said the expansion demonstrated Rwanda’s belief that conservation and human development should advance together.

The benefits of gorilla conservation have also extended to surrounding communities through tourism and related economic activities.

Under Rwanda’s Tourism Revenue Sharing Programme, 10 per cent of national park tourism revenues is reinvested in communities around protected areas. More than Rwf23 billion has so far supported nearly 1,300 community projects, including schools, health centres, water infrastructure and livelihood initiatives.

Beyond the conservation message, Friday’s ceremony offered Rwanda an opportunity to showcase its tourism and cultural heritage to an international audience.

The gathering brought together personalities such as former football stars Patrice Evra, Mamadou Sakho and James Chester, Olympic high-jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, filmmaker Alastair Fothergill, Atlético de Madrid chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín and Rio Tinto Chairman Dominic Barton.

Other Namers included hospitality investor Olivier Granet, philanthropists Garreth and Nicola Wood, Pan African Sanctuary Alliance Executive Director Kelly O’Meara, Nyungwe National Park ranger Jeanette Uwimbabazi and filmmaker Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo.

For Rwanda, the annual ceremony remains both a celebration of new life in the forest and a reminder of the responsibility that comes with protecting a species once pushed close to extinction.