A KENYAN PUBLIC HOLIDAY-MADARAKA DAY

Like anywhere else in the world, when a public holiday rocks around the place goes into over drive.  People head home to their villages, the roads are congested more than normal with travelling traffic, expats are inundated with travel specials and in a country like Kenya where you can have a coast retreat, a mountain experience or of course the national parks it really is an amazing country to be living in over a holiday period.  My week-end is not as exciting with all these fabulous options.  Eric was out at the farm attending to the greenhouse, so it was a low key week-end for me.  I had a cocktail hour (well 2) with a friend Alex, on the Saturday evening and a Sunday lunch with Nikki the following day.  It makes it difficult to see peoples travel photos of their long week-end out of the city, but then I figured I have a lifetime in this country to see everything, and as it worked out I was feeling unwell, so a few days at home was what I really needed to get back on the mend again.

It seemed that Kenyans have a lot of public holidays, but after looking it up on line they seem to have around the same amount that Australians do.  As I am not working, public holidays don’t mean as much to me now as they used to when I was a ‘worker’.  It seems my whole life actually is one big, long public holiday and to be honest they have lost their ‘value’ on me because of this and I can’t wait to get back into the workforce so that I can appreciate these long week-ends again. 

So today is the 1st of June and it warrants another public holiday.  This one seems to have a lot of history behind it, so I wanted to share what Madaraka Day is and what it means to the Kenyans.  Not only was it a Saturday, but for people that are paid monthly-they were paid yesterday and throw in the public holiday it always make for one hell of a celebration.  Madaraka Day, 1 June, commemorates the day that Kenya attained internal self-rule in 1963, preceding full independence from the United Kingdom on 12 December 1963.  The Republic of Kenya, on the eastern coast of Africa, is surrounded by Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. In the mid-1800s, British settlers arrived in East Africa. They eventually established the East African Protectorate in 1895, which promoted European settlement in some of the most fertile parts of Kenya, forcing the native Kenyans from their land. In some areas, especially in the arid northern half of the country, there were few British settlers.

Even before Kenya was officially made a British colony in 1920, European settlers were allowed to participate in government. However, Africans were prohibited from direct political participation until 1944, at which time a few appointed (but not elected) African representatives were allowed to sit in the legislature.  Between 1952 and 1959, Kenyans began to rebel against British colonial rule and its land policies. This rebellion took place almost exclusively in the highlands of central Kenya, which were home to the Kikuyu people. Detention camps and restricted villages were established to contain the Kikuyu insurgents. Tens of thousands of Kikuyu died in these areas and in the fighting, compared to approximately 650 British deaths.  Following the rebellions, Africans were given many more opportunities to participate in politics. The first elections to elect Africans to the Legislative Council took place in 1957. On June 1, 1963, Kenya became a self-governing country when Jomo Kenyatta, an ethnic Kikuyu and head of the Kenya African National Union (KANU), became the first prime minister. On December 12, 1963, Kenya became an independent nation.

One year later, on December 12, 1964, Kenya became a republic, with Kenyatta serving as the president. Kenyans honour their first president by celebrating Kenyatta Day every year on October 20.  June 1 is a public holiday in Kenya. The day is set aside to commemorate the day that Kenya became a self-ruling nation. On this day, the main event takes place at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. The President addresses the nation, and the uniformed military, singers, and traditional dancers from around the country provide entertainment for the crowds.  The day is full of festive activities, including family picnics and games in the public parks. Many people take this opportunity to go back to their hometowns for the occasion, and often a big meal of goat or chicken is prepared for the special day. Retail business in Nairobi is slower on this day, while public transportation to up-country areas is heavier than normal.

Madaraka Day, like Mashujaa Day, affords Kenyans the opportunity to celebrate Independence and modern-day heroes and heroines who have brought pride and joy to our beloved country. However, it should also be an occasion to encourage every-day heroism among citizens. As John F Kennedy put it to his generation: Ask not what your country can do for you, but instead ask what you can do for your country.  Encouraging and rewarding this kind of attitude to nation building will create a new breed of heroes that could transform the country radically.

So the hand in hand public holiday with Madaraka Day is Jamhuri Day, also called Independence Day, is also a national holiday in Kenya, celebrated on 12 December each year.  Jamhuri is the Swahili word for "republic" and the holiday is officially to mark the date of Kenya's establishment as a republic on 12 December, 1964 and is one of the most important national holidays in Kenya.  However, the country also gained full independence from the United Kingdom one year earlier on 12 December, 1963, so Jamhuri Day is a double event and is generally regarded as Kenya's most important holiday, marked by numerous cultural festivities which celebrate the country's cultural heritage. 

No matter what country you are in, there are public holidays for all sorts of reasons, historic and religious and Kenya is no different.  I am finding it interesting the more I learn about my new country and my home and I look forward to learning more and more about the people and their culture and history.

Happy Madaraka Day.