Happy Kenyatta Day...
Kenyatta Day is a day set aside to honor the first President of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta who was not only visionary leader but a brave & intelligent man who led the locals fight through the tough British colonialists leading to the Independence of a free Kenya ruled by the Kenyans..To all the Kenyans around the world, enjoy this special National Holiday marked on the 20th October every year.
Jivunie kuwa Mkenya (Be proud to be Kenyan)
posted by Shaggy @ 5:30 AM
16 Comments:
It always irks me that we only honour Kenyatta, while I dont dispute that he fought HARD, he was not the only one.. But enjoy the day
Peace to brother, Kenyatta. He was one of the four African names I heard growing up. The others were Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, and Sekou Toure. These were names I heard before I knew of Mandela.
I am with HnH and SB on this....ohhh well!
Have a nice one too!!!
Kweli ni mambo na kujivunia kuwa mkenya.
Holiday... sure... but don't aren't most holidays posthumous... so we can judge the performance???
For all kenyatta did or didn't do...
Pio Gama Pinto - murdered
Oginga Odinga - shunted aside
Achieng Aneko - Shunted coz he did not want to "eat"
Tom Mboya - Murdered
JM Kariuki - Murdered
Bidad Kaggia - Publicly derided by kenyatta coz he refused to "eat"
kenyatta family grabbed thousands of acres of prime land which should have gone to many "real" heroes of the struggle.
kenyatta started the land allocations for political gains.
he had hundreds imprisoned/detained simply coz they did not agree with his politics.
Kenya & S.Korea were at similar economic levels in 1963. While the S.Korean "dictators" led S.Korea to greatr heights, kenyatta (& sidekick moi) screwed Kenya over & over & over...
Half n Half - I respect your views totally but how do you not honor the 1st President of the Nation?? He was the leader and on this day we also honor & remember all the other guys who fought with him...
Stephen - I agree, Kenyatta was an Icon and a widely known leader..
Mocha - are you on the fence...
coldtusker - stop the hate and look at the positive side... There's a bad side of all the leaders.. Kenyatta was a great guy and that is my story and am sticking to it no matter what....
BJ: We all honour him, but at the risk of bringing up the age old arguement: let us change the day's name to Shujaa day, ama something like that.
Jomo Kenyatta, looter in chief!
Thanks for freedom, but did you loot so much?
When I was in Kenya, this day usually meant long weekends where I got to go home from boarding school. Perhaps the meaning has been lost on the younger generation? All the same, for those in Kenya, enjoy your long weekend :)
I agree with coldtuske and anon,
Isn't it ironic that Oct 20 is marked as the day Kenyatta was arrested for leading the MauMau rebellion? In Kenya death cleanses you of all your sins. Just as feted the criminal Lotodo at his death, we celebrate Kenyatta as a freedom fighter when he publicly opposed the MauMau movement, was never a member, refused to grant the real fighters legal recognition (as I noted here) and stole the very land they died for.
Have a happy Kenyatta Day. As for me, I will be drinking to the real fighters.
I agree... Shujaa Day... none of these useless days to make for kenyatta or moi or kibz...
As for kenyatta leading Kenya to freedom... sijui! There are other figures like Dedam Kimathi who might be way ahead!
In the US, George Washington's legacy was examined BEFORE there was a G Washington Day! He led the war for independence then was ELECTED for 1 term then RETIRED... He refused to be anointed "king"...
If kenyatta was offered kingship... he would taken it! After all he was "king" in all but name... even died after he had gone senile BUT still on the throne!
Its not kenyatta I hate but the PROBLEMS we faced coz of his policies & misdeeds...
Look at moi who is called "mzee"... I want to payuka!
moi messed up university education for THOUSANDS (coz he insisted on clinging onto power not matter what!)... was he jealous of the better educated?
Bro Jero: Shujaa... like the All Saints' day... kenyatta was flawed human... thou shall not him into god...
Little knowledge is dangerous, I rest my case..
Happy Kenyatta Day folks..
happy Kenyatta day to all kenyans all over the globe!
note to self: after finishing reading mandela's autobiography "long walk to freedom", read something about kenya's fight for independence.
any suggestions anyone?
@Adrian try The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya by Caroline Elkins...still havnt gotten my hands on a copy, but I heard its good! As for Kenyatta day...I agree with cold tusker and gathara...people don't even know that there is a mau mau association still in existence...nobody remembers these brave heroes that fought for our freedom. They live in poverty and die without acknowledgment, but just because Kenyatta was president, we give him (a single man) a whole day of celebration. I'm not saying that he was a great person, but c'mon, what of the rest...shujaa day to me sounds a lot better...but anyhoo...happy kenyatta day people!!
I was home on this day, and we celebrated Shujaa day (Heros' day). I am proud to report that Dr. Wanjiru Kihoro was counted as one of the Shujaas.
Peace out!!!
Hey! am too late on this but here is my take...Kenyatta was never a revolutionary to begin with. He was an aristocrat who was for the peaceful way. Either way, He is, in our Kenyan history, our first president of the Republic of Kenya. The real Heroes here were Kimathi n others!
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