If the 59th Madaraka Day fete was to showcase Kenya’s huge strides since independence, and the spectacularly coordinated event at Uhuru Gardens did not disappoint.
There was song and dance and an outpouring of cheer as President Uhuru Kenyatta oversaw his final Madaraka Day celebrations, his last national holiday at the helm.
His final national day assignment took him to the historic grounds where the country attained self-rule in 1963, where the flag of an independent Kenya was unfurled and flew high for the first time on December 12 of the same year, replacing the colonial British flag.
There were many Kenyan flags at the former colonial concentration camp, where more than 10,000 freedom fighters were detained, than the number of years Kenya has been independent encircling the venue. A constant breeze kept the flags fluttering.
“According to our founding fathers, therefore, our flag is not a sentimental piece of fabric decorated in ink. We must always remember that each time it flies, it is not blown by the wind. It is blown by the last breath of our liberators as they made their final bow to liberate Kenya,” President Kenyatta said as he highlighted the significance of the day.
He said the grounds had been meant to be celebrated as a camp of the martyrs who shed blood for independence “the birthplace of our nation.”
Kenyans, swollen with the same patriotism that country’s founding fathers bore decades ago, waved their miniature flags constantly. More than 30,000 had streamed in by early morning and had withstood the fury of the baking sun.
If the sun had been unforgiving, it was unnoticeable on their faces. And that was perhaps because of the top-notch entertainment on offer. A rousing applause in the end, amid a shower of confetti, was the perfect expression of the satisfaction that those present had.
They were just setting those gathered up for a performance by pupils of some 11 primary schools in Nairobi. Donning white, their synchronised performance saw them make out the country’s map, the words “Madaraka” and “Peace.” At the end of their performance, they declared that they were the “CBC (Competency-Based Curriculum), whose efficacy the president defended.
It was a show matching the high bar the military had set with their immaculate display.
Kenya Airforce pilots cut capers above the Uhuru Gardens sky, dazzling the masses below with their impeccable aerobatic show and the speed with which they pierced through the clouds.
The president, flailing his arms, pointing towards the zooming panes, was as giddy as everyone else. Earlier, the army had paraded armoured personnel carriers and tanks and canon mounts, with the navy carting their boats, deep-sea divers on board, around Uhuru Gardens. That followed an infantry parade, with Army officials meticulously marching with guns and loads on their backs.
It was a contrast to the obtaining situation 59 years ago, when bare-footed freedom fighters, armed with spears and shields, won back their land from gun-wielding colonialists.
“The shield and spear on our national flag is a symbol of victory. But it is also a notice of readiness should our “heritage of splendour” be threatened,” The President said in his speech, moments after the military show of might.
