Madaraka Day 2006

Patriotism, a strange and emotional word. George Bernard Shaw dismissed patriotism as, “the conviction that your country is superior to all other countries simply because you were born in it.”

Despite that I never hesitate to call myself a Kenyan patriot. This feeling, this patriotism, has always been with me for as long as I can remember. I can show you pictures from my pre-teen years where you would see that I used to hang a Kenyan flag on my wall together with posters and pictures of various freedom fighters/statesmen (usually taken from the cover of Weekly Review or other such magazines). My very first post, written back in 1997, was about Kenya and the pride I felt in being Kenyan. I will try and dig it up and post it on Mentalacrobatics one of these fine days.

So why am I so proud of Kenya, of being Kenyan? A part of it has to be that we, Kenya and I, are both growing, both learning from experience and our growth is linked. As I grow, Kenya grows. As Kenya grows, I grow. After all Kenya as a nation is younger than many of our parents. Kenya was not a house we moved into, it was a house which they started building, which will complete and which our children will furnish. In that sense we mould it in our character. It is a reflection of us. The good and the bad. But it is us.

Many confuse pride for the country with love for the government and vice versa. We often get questions like, how can you be proud of Kenya when Kibaki does this, when Moi does that, when Kenyatta did this or that. No. regardless of what you think of our three presidents, the country is bigger than them, bigger than you, bigger than me. It is all of us together.

When I watch the Olympics and the flag goes up and the national anthem rings out across the stadium. To me that is Kenya. When we open our borders to our neighbours, give them a haven away from war and civil war. To me that is Kenya. When our Nobel Laureate arrives home to find her own government has ignored her but the wanainchi slow her car to a halt to congratulate her while singing songs in her honour. To me that is Kenya. The examples go on and on.

While clearing out I found a tape I bought over 15 years ago. It contains a collection of speeches by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. Here are some clips. It is interesting to listen to them with the benefit of over 40 years hindsight. The first one is from the first Madaraka Day, 1st June 1963 (3 mins long). The second one is from Madaraka Day, 1965 (3 mins long). These are both in English. Mzee Kenyatta’s most powerful oratory, like many of our politicians, was in Kiswahili thus I have included a third clip this one taken at the first Kenyatta Day rally on October 20th 1963 at Kamukunji which is essential entertaining listening (6 mins long).

The first clip is loaded automatically. To play the next clip click on the “Play now” link next to the description.

 

 Jomo Kenyatta Speech Madaraka Day 1963 - Digitalized by Mentalacrobatics.com [2:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jomo Kenyatta Speech Madaraka Day 1965 - Digitalized by Mentalacrobatics.com [2:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Jomo Kenyatta Speech Kenyatta Day 1963 - Digitalized by Mentalacrobatics.com [5:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(The tape has no copyright information on it apart from the code C-K002 so I am unable to credit anyone with it (apart from Mzee Kenyatta of course). I suspect the copyright is held by the National Archive? Oh well they were public speeches anyway!)

Aside: I have developed my own tradition while I am outside Kenya. On every Kenyan National holiday I wear my Kenyan flag tie to work, comme ca:

Hehehe! Represent! I always look for an excuse to wear this tie and it is impossible to find one at home. At least here I can floss. Almost inevitably there will be someone on the street who notices it, smiles at me and walks over to say “Habari.” Kenyans, we are everywhere!

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