Africa and the World in general today witnessed the rebirth of a new Kenyan Republic. The Venue was Uhuru Park, a ground renown in the Kenyan history having hosted various historic events:
- Sep 1, 1978 – Kenyans gather for a prayer service after Jomo Kenyatta’s death in a two and a half hour ceremony attended by six heads of state
- Aug 19, 1985 - Pope John Paul II plants a tree at Uhuru Park after a morning mass
- Oct 1989 - Environmentalist Wangari Maathai learns of a plan to build a 60-story Kenya Times Media Trust Complex in Uhuru Park.
- Aug 9, 1998 - Thousands of Kenyans pray at the Uhuru Park for the victims of the bombing of the US embassy
- Oct 6, 2007 - Raila Odinga launches his ODM campaign
- Jan 31, 2008 - Kenyan police officers lay flowers for the victims of post-election violence
- June 13 2010 - Grenade attack on a prayer rally at Uhuru Park in Nairobi kills seven and injures 100
- May 1, 2010 - Prime Minister Raila Odinga addresses citizens during Labour Day
plus the 2002 swearing in ceremony when Kenya changed regime from the dictatorial Moi regime to a rather Democratic Kibaki reign. Today, Friday 27th August 2010, the ground hosted yet another land marking ceremony in the Making of the Kenyan Nation, the Promulgation of Kenya's new constitution that was voted enormously on 4th August the same year.
Attendance was amazing with the first hundreds checking in by 3am. Arrival of the officials and invited guests started as ealr as 7am (local time) and by 9:45 am the president arrived to kick off the event.
The world watched, with various high-powered governmental representatives and Presidents being in attendance. However, the presence of Omar al-Bashir shifted the focus camera a little bit, but not for long for the time for cerebration was long overdue.
Speeches given recognized various key people who have been in the lime light for the fight for the new constitution including Pio Gama Pinto, JM Kariuki, Masinde Muliro, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenneth Matiba, Wangari Maathai just to mention but a few.
The new constitution was nicknamed ‘the coming train’ which will sweep you off your feet if you don’t move aside. It has overcome various hurdles with the latest being a court filing that aimed at extending the promulgation date, but as they said “NOTHING COULD HAVE SURELY STOPPPED THIS ONE”