Be patriotic and unite, President Uhuru Kenyatta tells Kenyans
Mama Ngina Kenyatta lays a wreath at the mausoleum of founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on August 22, 2014. PHOTO | JENNIFER MUIRURI |
What you need to know:
- President Kenyatta said Kenya has managed to remain a united and stable nation because of the values inherited from its founders.
- Deputy President William Ruto said it was the foresight and sacrifices of the founding fathers that ensured the stability of Kenya.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on Kenyans to be patriotic and uphold the ideals of the nation's founders.
Speaking during the commemoration of the 36th anniversary of the death of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the President said Kenya was built on the principles of unity, patriotism and selflessness.
“For us to succeed we must pull together and we must unite. Yes, we are a democratic society entitled to our different opinions but we should not allow those differences to tear the nation apart,” said President Kenyatta.
“We are celebrating sacrifices which he (Mzee Jomo Kenyatta) and others made for us to be a nation. Were it not for their sacrifices, Kenya would not be what it is today,” he said.
'AN ISLAND OF PEACE'
President Kenyatta said Kenya has managed to remain a united and stable nation because of the values inherited from its founders.
“You look at this continent and you see many nations in turmoil, but we have been an island of peace and a beacon of hope to many,” he said.
Deputy President William Ruto said it was the foresight and sacrifices of the founding fathers that ensured the stability of Kenya.
He said the current crop of leaders and Kenyans in general have an opportunity to lay a foundation of a country free from corruption, hatred, division and ethnicity.
A NEW KENYA
“Today is important to us, as we are a mirror of what we want to be. We will lay a foundation under your leadership which will usher in a new Kenya free of ethnicity, hatred and division,” Mr Ruto said.
The moderator of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Rev David Riitho Gathanju, urged Kenyans to work hard and achieve the desired goals of the founding fathers of a prosperous nation for all.
“The onus is on all of us to make Kenya a better place for our children and all generations to come,” added Rev Gathanju.
Earlier, President Kenyatta led family members and other dignitaries in laying a wreath at Mzee Kenyatta’s mausoleum at Parliament buildings in Nairobi.
