By Tom Odhiambo

A drive between City Park and Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi should ordinarily

Cecilia Mwangi, former Miss Kenya.

take less than 10 minutes. But factor in the perpetual traffic jam and you may end up taking an hour.

I risked the snarl up to attend the opening of the Murumbi Peace Memorial, dedicated to Kenya’s second Vice President Joseph Murumbi and his wife Sheila, last Sunday.

The rehabilitation of the memorial and the presence of Culture and Heritage Minister William ole Ntimama at City Park were, to some extent, testimony of efforts to recognise our cultural icons — the Murumbis.

The subsequent African Heritage Night at the Intercontinental Hotel is further evidence of Kenya’s growing consciousness towards its cultural heritage. But beyond the event, of what cultural value is the African Heritage Festival? Why were the events surrounding the Murumbi memorial a private initiative yet the man was a

Caroline Nderitu, recites ‘Joe Murumbi: Memory of a continent’.

liberation struggle hero?

If he can be remembered through the efforts of non-state actors despite his high profile in our political history, what has happened to other not-so-conspicuous heroes and heroines?

These are questions a cultural policy has to urgently address.

African Heritage Festival was significant in many ways. For instance, consider that the original event is associated with the famed Maasai market in Nairobi. The market was born out of the African Heritage Tuesday Buying Day, which was initially a time of buying souvenir trinkets.

Maasai market is among the most significant tourist attractions in the city.

Part of the ritual during the memorial was the unveiling of Elkana Ongesa’s sculpture, ‘The Bird of Peace Emerging from the Stone of Despair’. Standing next to the Murumbi graves is the sculpture, which truly celebrates the life of a man who fought for the independence of this country and would only have wished peaceful coexistence between its citizens.

The cosmopolitanism that Murumbi symbolised, but which was firmly founded in his African roots, is probably the antidote to the ethnic animosity that threatened to tear the country apart.

Another fitting honour to Murumbi, which again rendered the notion of cosmopolitanism, was the performance by Ayub Ogada. Ogada is associated with the first African Heritage Band and has lived and performed in Europe and at home.

Model Dorothy Oliech.

His exquisite marriage of the Luo Nyatiti and modern instruments is testimony to how adaptation and innovation contribute to cultural newness. Apart from Ogada’s captivating performances, a carnival atmosphere built up in the hotel ballroom. The sounds and songs from the band of the day, which provided a fitting African background to the setting, cut across languages and cultures. The show at the Intercontinental was as varied in style and content as Africa. Going back to its roots, the evening show was a magnificent display of what Africa has to offer — sound, song, dance, cuisine and dress.

A host of female and male models, from Eastern and Western Africa, reminded one of the interconnectedness between African peoples; something the colonial system and post-colonial politicians disrupted. If indeed there is space within which a pan-African coexistence can be celebrated and perhaps a United States of Africa be founded, it is within the realm of culture.

The event was somewhat a rehearsal of a US tour in honour of President Barack Obama. Obama is currently the most recognisable representative of the Black race in the world.

The collection of artefacts and the performances combined with the enthusiastic responses from the audience confirmed Kenyans appreciate good art and culture.

Yet one had the feeling that apart from the fundraising element of the event, the exorbitant charges (Sh5,000) simply meant many who would have loved to attend were unable.