Kenya celebrates 49 years of independence

This year, Kenya celebrates her 49 years of Independence. On the 12th December, 1963 Kenya attained her independence from the British colonial rule with the Late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta becoming the Prime Minister. In 1964 on the same date, Kenya became a Republic and attained internal self rule with the Late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta as the Country's first President.
The 12th Day of December became both symbolic and the official Independence Day of the Republic of Kenya. Since 1964 the day is annually celebrated and is officially known as JAMHURI DAY. It is the day Kenya attained internal self rule (full independence). This was attained after a long and bitter struggle in which many lives were lost as Kenyans fought for their liberation from the British. Since 1964 Kenya has shaped itself as the leading East African nation with the biggest economy in the East and Central Africa region.
The National Day of Kenya this year shall be observed at the time when the current President, H.E. Hon. Mwai Kibaki is completing his 10 year administration of two 5 years term permissible by the constitution of Kenya. It is nostalgic for the President as he will be leaving office after giving Kenya a new constitutional order and completing key infrastructure projects in energy, roads and information communication technology that are critical in taking Kenya into a middle income economy. It is also at the time that Kenya is discovering important minerals such as oil, natural gas, gold, iron ore and coal that if proven to be in commercial quantities will provide the necessary ingredients for Kenya's economic take off.
It is an exciting time in the history of Kenya as the economic prospects look brighter and democratic values take root in the Country. This is unlike 2003 when the president took over at a time that the Country was undergoing a transition and the economy was underperforming. Overtime the economy has recovered and the foundations for future progress and prosperity are in place.
Kenya is a secular democratic nation with a market based economy in which people of different ethic groups (tribes) and religions live and interact together harmoniously. This ethnic and religious harmony has enabled Kenya to peacefully adapt to the changing socio economic trends in the world.
The Republic of Kenya covers an area of 582,646 Sq. kms. Kenya is located in the eastern part of Africa and shares boundaries with Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Kenya has a population of 38 million people (2009 Estimate) and estimated to grow at 2.5% per year. The official language is English while Swahili is the national language. There are dozens of other ethnic languages.
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was considered by many Kenyans as the founding father of the Nation because of his struggle for the independence of Kenya which earned him 12 years in prison from the British colonial administration. Mzee Kenyatta likened the task of building the new nation to that of workers with a burden which could only be overcome by working together successfully "heave up" or "pull together" their heavy workload. Thus the slogan "Harambee" was coined by Kenyan workers for purposes of nation building and national development. The word means "togetherness" and was a call towards self-sufficiency and reliance. The new emerging nation quickly pulled its act together and took on the task of nation building. At independence Kenyatta and other leaders recognised three major obstacles to the development of the young nation: -Poverty, Disease and Ignorance. The government came up with a series of objectives to accomplish in order to build a just, democratic and prosperous African country.
They included:
-- Political equality.
-- Social justice.
-- Human dignity.
-- Freedom from want and disease.
-- Equal opportunities.
-- High and growing incomes to be distributed equitably.
To realise the above objectives, Kenyan leaders at independence adopted five-year Development Plans. At the end of each plan period (term), the planners would go through it to see if the planned needs were fulfilled or they were overtaken by other events on either the domestic or international fronts. Population planning was a key issue after independence as it had a bearing on economic growth. There was an increased allocation of resources to development and there was a pledge to build the much needed social services infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and housing which to date have been realized to some reasonable degree.
The firm frameworks laid by Mzee Kenyatta and his team build the strong foundations on which Kenya developed into a vibrant nation. Kenya is blessed with rich heritage of plants and animals, which allows for a range of economic activities. Kenya is also strategically located within easy reach of export markets in the region, Middle East, Europe and Asia. Political stability and the pragmatic economic approach that the government has followed to encourage foreign and local investment, has led to a remarkable development in various sectors.