Kenyan students in Uganda on Saturday converged at the College of Engineering at Makerere Univsersity for the remembrance of the people who fought tirelessly to liberate their country.

“Mashujaa” day, also known as Heroes Day ("Mashujaa" is Swahili for heroes") is a national day in Kenya, which is observed every 20th day of October as a public holiday. The day is meant to collectively honour all those who contributed towards the struggle for Kenya’s independence or positively contributed in the post-independence Kenya.

It was previously known as Kenyatta Day, which was celebrated to commemorate the detention in Kapenguria in early 1950s of freedom fighters Achieng' Oneko, Bildad Kaggia, Fred Kubai, Jomo Kenyatta, Kung'u, also known as the Kapenguria Six. However, following the promulgation of the constitution of Kenya in August 2010, Kenyatta Day was renamed to “Mashujaa” Day that Kenyans celebrate today.

Patrick Mumo, former president of Association of all Kenyans in Uganda (AKESA) told the gathering: “It being a special day in our history, the heroes had a common goal, to liberate Kenya. Our heroes decided to work together regardless of their tribal differences, they united to fight against three major problems—diseases, illiteracy and ignorance.”

Mumo, however, lamented that 55 years after Kenya became independent, corruption, tribalism and unemployment continue to threaten her future.

“But today Kenya is in more trouble facing major problems like corruption, tribalism and unemployment. Had it not been these major problems perhaps Kenya’s Gross domestic product would have been better that of South Korea,” he said.

In 1963, several African countries including Kenya, Uganda and Ghana, among others, had better Gross Domestic Product per capita income than that of South Korea. In 50 years, however, the Asian nation has jumped to become one of the economic tigers of the region with a per capita income three times higher than that of Kenya.  Mumo attributes this to the fact South Korea “values and invests in her own people."

Mumo further said, as youths whose future belongs to them, they should not allow their leaders who intentionally decided to divide the country along tribal lines. “We must not blame our leaders; the blame goes to us electorates. Come every election year bad politicians will bribe us to vote them in and forget the past, then after elections we start complaining again,” he said.

Kenya’s national politics have been drawn along tribal lines, especially between the two biggest tribes—the Kikuyu and the Luo. Three of the four presidents the country has had have all come from the Kikuyu, with only one—Daniel arap Moi—coming from the Kalenjin tribe.

Mumo applauded the recent dialogue between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his long time political rival, former prime minister Raila Odinga, who has tried four times to take the top office without success. "As I believe in the spirit of handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, this will be extended and make Kenya more united. Through this Raila Odinga has been appointed as high representative in Africa Union Commission," he noted.

Nicholas Kazungu, president of Makerere University Kenyans Association (MUKESA) urged Kenyans in Uganda to uphold the spirit of the forefathers by being united and helping one another in times of need. “This has happened in Kampala International University where one student lacked tuition, but upon posting in the WhatsApp group there was a Kenyan businessman who stood with him by paying his tuition. If we all have such a heart we will make Kenya have great people in future,” Kazungu said.

AKESU patron Sister Njuguna, from Kampala University School of Nursing, also urged Kenyans in Uganda to be registered at the embassy and get students pass that will avoid harassment by police when crossing the border. “Last year in January a student from Kampala University was stopped by police because she lacked a registration card and student pass. This led to her arrest, with police reporting that she was doing illegal business from Kenya to Uganda. She had nothing to show that she was a student,” said Njuguna.

Photo picked from Nation Media Group