Bungoma to host 2024 Madaraka Day celebrations
By Wycliffe Nyamasege, August 27, 2023
The 61st Madaraka Day celebrations will be held in Bungoma County.
The revelations were made by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula on Sunday, August 27, 2023.
Speaking during an interdenominational church service in Bungoma town, the former Bungoma senator disclosed that the national government had settled on the county to host the Madaraka Day celebrations in June next year.
Wetang’ula, while commending President William Ruto for considering the Western region in his development agenda, said preparations for the event had already kicked off ahead of the big day.
“You (Ruto) have respected Bungoma and allowed your government next year to celebrate Madaraka Day next year,” Wetang’ula said.
He said Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo had sent a high-level delegation from the office of the President to survey the county in readiness for the national celebrations.
President Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua are in the Western region for a 5-day working tour.
This year’s Madaraka Day celebrations were held in Embu County on June 1. The day is set aside to commemorate when Kenya attained self-rule in 1963 after being a British colony since 1920.
Rotational national celebrations
The national celebrations were devolved in 2016 by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In the arrangement, counties host two of the three annual national holidays on a rotational basis while Nairobi retains one, Independence Day on December 12, otherwise known as Jamhuri Day.
The other national holiday is Mashujaa Day marked every October 20 to honour the country’s freedom fighters. Kericho County will host this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations.
Previously, Nairobi hosted all national holiday celebrations.
Uhuru explained that the decision to take the events to counties aimed at boosting national cohesion and integration.
The first Madaraka Day fete outside Nairobi was held in Nakuru.
“The decision to share the celebrations of our nationhood among the counties is part of the Jubilee administration’s desire to include every Kenyan, in word and in deed,” he said then.