First Lady Margaret Kenyatta graces Turkana festival

The fourth edition of the Turkana Tourism and Cultural Festival - 'Tobong’u Lore' kicked off in Lodwar yesterday amid a downpour.

The northern Kenya County, known for harsh arid conditions, experienced rain during the official opening of the festival attended by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.

Lodwar town, the normally sleepy county headquarters, bustled with activity as thousands of visitors checked in to attend the annual event.

Dozens of vehicles from other parts of the country and Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda brought a spectacle to the town in the form of a traffic snarl-up.

Hoteliers were busy serving guests with food and ensuring that they had a place to lay their tired bodies at night. Taxis and boda boda riders did roaring business as they ferried guests to Ekalees Centre, the venue of the colourful festival.

Ms Kenyatta landed at 1:35pm clad in full traditional Turkana regalia. She wore a beaded headpiece, black shoes, and a beaded brown dress made of cloth but sewn in a similar fashion as the leather dresses worn by Turkana women.

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"It is a great thing to celebrate the vibrancy of the Kenyan culture. It is not to stage Turkana as just a culture but to bring harmony among the different neighbouring communities. This is a true model for sustainable peace and it marks an important event both nationally and internationally," she said.

She added that the event would bring socio-economic benefits to the local residents and market the country's rich heritage.

"Turkana gives us a chance to rediscover our origins. The festival gives a glimpse of what the country can offer. Culture plays an important role in understanding who we are. We can also showcase things that are unique to us. We hope the festival will welcome back people from the diaspora to participate and discover their culture," she added.

Turkana men donned shuka locally referred to as 'lorwantha, with beaded headgear decorated with ostrich feathers, symbolising their identity as the "ostrich community".

Governor Josphat Nanok, the event's host, said the festival celebrated the culture and identity of the Turkana people.

"We have relatives, including Karamojong and Iteso of Uganda, the Nyang'atom of Ethiopia and the Toposa of South Sudan. The festival is meant to ensure peaceful co-existence among communities that have been warring for decades," he said.

Also present were four other governors and deputy governors as well as delegations from South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Deputy President William Ruto is expected to attend the event today.