Nairobi - Kenyans turned out in their thousands on Wednesday at two separate public events to celebrate the country’s 53rd Madaraka (Freedom) Day. This is the day Kenya attained internal self-rule from the British colonialists.
The main national event was led by President Uhuru Kenyatta at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru County. This was the first time national celebrations were held outside Nairobi.
Opposition leaders and their followers held a separate rally at the Uhuru Park in Nairobi.
Leaders from the opposition CORD party, Raila Odinga and Moses Wetang’ula, led their followers at the Nairobi celebrations.
This was also the first time for the government to allow a separate meetings for a national public holiday.
Police estimate that thousands of Kenyans attended each festivity. There was a heavy police presence at both venues.
Traditionally, businesses close shop during national holidays to allow workers to partake in the celebrations.
This year the exception was that small businesses such as motorcycle transport (boda boda) as well as hawkers and public taxis did roaring business as they ferried Kenyans to the different venues and sold them snacks.
In Nakuru, among the big businesses, only a small number of restaurants and supermarkets were open as most roads leading to Afraha Stadium were closed and many Kenyans chose to remain indoors in their homes and watched the events on TV.
In Nairobi too, many big businesses were closed for the day.
President Uhuru Kenyatta in his speech reminded Kenyans that the freedom they enjoy today was gained through sacrifices made by freedom fighters against colonial rule at the beginning of the last century.
Kenyatta asked Kenyans to honour the freedom fighters by maintaining peace and unity.
“Our forefathers suffered greatly to free us from the colonial yoke. Loved ones were lost, and our freedom fighters endured the bitter pain of injustice. Still, they paid the price, and won our freedom for us. We are grateful for their commitment and sacrifice, and we are the proud inheritors of their heroism,” said Kenyatta.
And for the first time in a presidential speech, the role that women freedom fighters played in the struggle for uhuru (freedom), was recognised as Kenyatta said: “It is not said often enough, but it is true - this country is great because Kenyan women are great. We did not acquire self-rule in 1963 only because men fought; we acquired self-rule because Kenya’s women also stood. In the fight for our liberty, it was our founding mothers who supplied intelligence, who offered sanctuary, who nursed the wounded, and who fed the hungry fighters.”
Kenyatta reminded Kenyans that disunity and infighting betrays the ideals for which the freedom fighters envisaged of a fusion of all the different communities that make up Kenya into “a single national purpose”.
Referring to the bloody tribal and political clashes of 2007-2008, Kenyatta said: “The scars of 2007 remind us of the shame of political competition without limits or wisdom. But our patriotism prevailed; and today we take pride as a nation in showing ourselves and the world that we have brought good out of troubled times, and that we have learned to limit political conflict, so that it no longer threatens the self-government that our forefathers so painfully won.”
On governance, Kenyatta said that Kenya had re-invented itself from a centralised government to a devolved one with 47 counties running the affairs of the citizens, demystifying government and bringing services closer to the people.
He then went on to enumerate the progress made in the three years he has been in power pointing to the provision of laptops to primary school children, the electrification of all public primary schools and many households, the distribution of over two million land title deeds to individual Kenyans, and the successful disbursements of monthly cash transfers to the most vulnerable citizens.
Regarding the contentious issue of refugees residing in camps in Kenya, President Kenyatta reiterated that the Dadaab refugee camp would be shut down. Saying that it was a difficult decision for the government, Kenyatta emphasised that Kenya’s security comes first.
“It is not cruelty or change of heart. We have hosted many refugees from all over. Our generosity will have to balance with the prerogative of keeping Kenya safe,” said Kenyatta.
He announced a duty waiver on the importation of dates (a delicacy for Muslims) during the coming month of fasting - Ramadaan.
– African News Agency