30,000 people to attend Uhuru’s ‘last’ Madaraka Day fete
By Hillary KimuyuPolice have assured Kenyans there will be no traffic disruptions during this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens.
The event is set for June 1, 2022, with Sierra Leone president Julius Maada Bio as the chief guest.
It will be the last national holiday to be presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta before his ten-year term of office lapses.
The National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson Bruno Shioso says there will be adequate police officers deployed to guide all motorists and ensure the free flow of traffic to and from the venue.
“Motorists are urged to exercise caution and obey traffic laws at all times. Stern action will be taken against offenders,” he stated.
While issuing the guidelines, Shioso said vehicles with red stickers will be ushered to Uhuru gardens through gate three and the spillover will be guided for parking at Uchumi supermarket.
Other vehicles will proceed along Langata link road, drop visitors at Carnivore-link road junction and will be guided for parking at Carnivore grounds.
The rest of the vehicles will drop visitors at the same junction then proceed to SwamiNarayan Temple road and park at Ulinzi Sports Complex.
He further stated that after the celebrations are over, VVIPs will be the first to leave through gate two followed by vehicles parked at Uchumi supermarket, those at Carnival Grounds and finally those at Ulinzi Sports Complex.
The venue has been renovated and is ready for the celebration which is an annual commemoration of Kenya’s attainment of internal self-rule from the British.
“This year’s Madaraka Day is significant because it will be the last for this regime and we decided it would be celebrated here breaking the tradition of celebrating it in the counties,” Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said.
Kibicho said since the government relaxed containment measures on Covid-19, the number of attendees will be increased from 10,000 to 30,000 people.
“Last year we celebrated the event in the middle of Covid-19 pandemic, and although we are not yet out of the woods, we have increased it from 10,000 to 30,000 people. Also, the participation of children has been included in the programme and has celebrations across the country,’’ said Kibicho.
The PS further noted that the government decided to move the event from the County rotational back to Nairobi because it will be the last event for the current administration before it exits office.
Madaraka Day celebrations will come 69 days before Kenyans go to the polls to elect a new president who will succeed President Kenyatta.
President Kenyatta was first elected into office in 2013 and is serving his second and last term in office.
The next public holidays in Kenya, after Madaraka Day, will be Utamaduni Day (previously Moi Day) on October 10 and Mashujaa Day (previously Kenyatta Day) on October 20.
By that time, President Kenyatta will have left office with Kenyans having elected a new president.