Kenya marked its 60th independence anniversary on Tuesday with pomp and color, reflecting on its journey from
colonialism to self-governance and development.
The main event was held at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, where President William Ruto presided over the celebrations. Parades, cultural performances, speeches, and awards have been held in honor of the anniversary.
The event drew the attendance of other heads of state and dignitaries, such as Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Ethiopian President Sahle Work Zewde. They delivered goodwill messages to Kenya and its people, praising Kenya’s role in regional and global affairs. Particularly highlighted were Kenya's contributions to promoting peace and security, combating terrorism and extremism, and addressing climate change and environmental issues.
The Kenyan leader praised the heroic struggle and sacrifice of the freedom fighters who helped liberate the East African country from colonial oppression and establish the republic status in 1964.
Ruto also highlighted the achievements and progress that Kenya made in various fields, including education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and technology, over the past six decades of freedom.
In addition, the president acknowledged the challenges and difficulties that Kenya still faces, such as poverty, inequality, corruption, insecurity, and climate change, urging Kenyans to work together to overcome them.
In late October and early November, during his first visit to a Commonwealth country since ascending the throne in September last year, King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom, Kenya's former colonizer, paid a four-day state visit to the East African country with the stated aim of strengthening cooperation on economic development, climate change, and security issues.
During the visit, the British monarch expressed regret over UK's policy in Kenya during the colonial era, saying that it is necessary to acknowledge "the most painful times" in relations between the two countries. This coincided with calls in Kenya for the UK to return a lot of documents that would shed light on many historical events, including accusations
against the British army of committing war crimes in the former colony.
"The visit by Charles III was so carefully choreographed that there hardly was room for raising issues of returning anything. There was no known royal commitment to facilitate the return of documents or anything else," Macharia Munene, Professor of History and International Relations at the US International University in Kenya's Nairobi, told Sputnik Africa.
Commenting on
King Charles' acknowledgement of his country's dark colonial legacy, Professor Munene said that regretting colonial-era atrocities was not enough to "cover up" the crimes committed against Kenyans during their struggle for independence from colonial rule. He suggested that the British monarch's "regret" was driven by "geopolitical reasons".
The British seized vast tracts of fertile land throughout the country during nearly seven decades of colonial rule, and thousands of Kenyans were killed, tortured, and imprisoned by British forces during the 1952-60 Mau Mau rebellion.
The Kenyan historian also noted that the British used to hide facts and retell the history of former colonies the way the British government wanted.
"The UK supports that kind of mentality and then takes on the role of try to tell Kenyans what their history is. British scholars are usually well funded to say something about Kenyans the way it's supposed to be," he said.
In conclusion, the scholar expressed hope that more Kenyans will understand the "true meaning" of the Independence Day instead of being "distanced from the history".