President William Ruto missed out on the inaugural celebration of Utamaduni Day held at Bomas of Kenya as he jetted into Uganda to resolve border issues.
However, First Lady Rachel Ruto represented the President alongside Public Service CS Moses Kuria, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, several legislators, and government officials.
Mama Rachel in her inaugural speech, termed the Bomas of Kenya event as one-of-a-kind. The event marked Kenya’s first celebration of Utamaduni Day in honour of the country's rich cultural diversity.
“Before I continue, allow me to pass my warm greetings from the President of the Republic of Kenya, Dr. William Ruto,” Mama Rachel commented on the President’s absence.
"This is a day to unite and rejoice in our ethnic diversity, traditions, languages, and customs that together create a magnificent tapestry of unity within our diversity," she added.
Public service CS Moses Kuria also dawned the stage in the famous Kikuyu traditional outfit as government spokesman Isaac Mwaura opted for a long white Swahili robe.
“For the first time now, we have a bill to protect our culture, our cabinet approved that Kenya joins the UNESCO protocol of 1944 for the protection of culture, so those foreign people and foreign nations usually come here rating our artifacts, emblems, heritage, ushanga, our culture we are saying now that that is going to be a thing of the past” CS Moses Kuria commented in his speech.
However, Ummi Bashir, the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Culture, Arts, and Heritage, was disappointed after Ruto missed the inaugural event.
October 10 was first named Moi Day after Kenya’s second president, Daniel arap Moi, and later renamed Huduma Day. In 2020, it was renamed Utamaduni Day following the Statute Miscellaneous Amendments Act No. 29 0f 2020.
Unlike other Kenyan National Holidays marked by a national event, Kenyans celebrate the event uniquely. As the national celebrations took place in the Bomas of Kenya, satellite events were held in other counties, with Kenyans engaging in a myriad of fun-filled activities.
Meanwhile, Ruto fulfilled his promise of flying to Uganda to hold a crisis meeting with the neighbouring country's head of state, Yoweri Museveni. Ruto, on Saturday, October 7, pledged to discuss border issues and the plight of fishermen who face arrests and harassment by Ugandan police.
"You have talked about security. You have said that the fishermen are lamenting about theft and their lives being at risk. I assure you that on Tuesday, I will pay a visit to Museveni and discuss how these things will work out," Ruto stated while addressing Homa Bay residents during his tour in Nyanza.
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