Jamhuri Day: What Does It Mean to be Kenyan Today and Tomorrow?

The people of Kenya on Tuesday will mark Jamhuri Day which is one of the three National Days stipulated in Article 9(3) of the Constitution of Kenya in addition to Madaraka Day and Mashujaa Day.

Kenya attained independence (Madaraka) on 1/6/1963 and with the Jomo Kenyatta as the Prime Minister and on 12/12/1964 Kenya became a Republic with the late Jomo Kenyatta as the President.

The people of Kenya as a Republic have had 11 elected governments since independence.  The 2017 Jamhuri Day will be the seventh to be celebrated under the New Constitution of Kenya 2010.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 was proclaimed as a victory for the people of Kenya to have, for the first time, made their Constitution in Kenya for themselves, unlike the independence Constitution which was negotiated between Kenya’s political leaders and the outgoing British colonial government at Lancaster House, London in Britain.

These years’ Jamhuri Day will be held at Kasarani Stadium. “Being one of the most important dates on the country’s calendar, Kenyans are once again invited to rally in unity around the values of patriotism and moving the country forward in the spirit of Kenya Mbele,” Government spokesman Eric Kiraithe said last week.

The event will be presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The celebrations will be marked by military and police parades, cultural songs and dances and the ceremonial raising of the Kenyan flag.

Further, the uncertainty that would have been witnessed will not be there after the National Super Alliance (NASA) suspended the swearing in of an alternative president and Deputy President following what they termed ‘ extensive internal consultations’.

Jamhuri day gives an opportunity to all Kenyans to rededicate, recommit themselves that they shall eendeavor to  abide by, uphold, and promote every letter and the full spirit of that Constitution as it embodies all that is Kenyan and our Nation’s Promises and Dreams.

To President Uhuru Kenyatta, this will be his first public holiday in his second term in office.

Read: Divided Nation, Rising Debt, Unemployment Ushers Uhuru’s Final Term  

During his inauguration, the President said “I will be the President of all. And I will devote my time and energy to build bridges to unite and bring prosperity to all Kenyans.”

This is because a majority of Kenyans continue to engage in activities that have become symptomatic of a breakdown of social disorder and values. These include: irresponsible leadership, violence and hate speech.

Kenya’s re-election resulted in the incumbent President being declared the winner.

The two-month period after the announcement of re-election further extended the period of uncertainty and holding back of expenditure by both corporates and consumers.

“East Africa’s dominant economy is facing a widening debt, slowing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a credit longing private sector. The political turmoil witnessed in the second half of 2017 along with drought condition that persisted in the first half of the same year downgraded the country’s economic growth forecast for the year to as low as 5 percent from the previous forecast of 5.9 percent,” according to Fusion Capital.

Treasury has revised its 2017-18 budget deficit forecast to 8.5 percent of the GDP from the previous 6.8, which shows the extent of duress faced by the government.

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