President Uhuru Kenyatta’s speech during Madaraka Day celebrations, June 1, 2013

By PPS

Fellow Kenyans,
I am pleased to join you today as we celebrate 50 years since our beloved country attained internal self-rule.  50 years ago, we embarked on an important and irreversible journey towards full independence when we began to run our own internal affairs.

Today, half a century later, we remember and salute the thousands of Kenyans who were involved in the struggle against colonialism.  We salute the men and women who made huge sacrifices so that we could enjoy freedom and liberty today.  We particularly honor those who paid the ultimate price in the liberation of our country.

In recognition of the sacrifices borne by our predecessors, every year, on this date, we have an opportunity to come together to reflect on what we have done with our hard-earned freedom; we have an opportunity to dedicate ourselves afresh to the patriotism; selflessness and diligence that marked the struggle for independence and an opportunity to renew our commitment to the task of building a prosperous nation that is freer, stronger,
richer and fairer than the one we inherited.

Fellow Kenyans,
As we celebrate this year’s Madaraka Day, therefore, we reflect over the journey we have travelled over the last 50 years.  And it is evident we have made tremendous strides over this period.  Kenyans now have better access to food, shelter, education, health and security services and, indeed, enjoy a better standard of living than was possible 50 years ago.

In spite of this progress, much remains to be done.  As we celebrate the past 50 years, therefore, we must now cast our sights over the next 50 years.  We must ask ourselves critical questions: how do we tackle the challenges we now face? What advances will we have made in the next 50 years? What new horizons will we have conquered? What kind of country will we bequeath to our children and future generations?

I cannot tell the future any more than you; but I know for sure that we are blessed with rich natural resources, a strong and growing middle class, improving infrastructure, and a well-educated workforce.  I am confident that through our hard work we can transform our country and take our rightful place among the free and prosperous nations of the world.

Fellow Kenyans,
To achieve this vision of a free and prosperous society, our journey must now gain momentum; and Kenyans across the country must play their respective roles in ensuring that Vision 2030 becomes a reality.

Let me hasten to say that national unity is a key prerequisite for the realisation of the Kenya that we all desire.  Without unity, we shall neither progress nor stand. As we indicated in our Manifesto, the Jubilee Government believes in one Kenya; a Kenya where every citizen, wherever they live, will have the opportunity to succeed and prosper, free of discrimination.  I assure Kenyans that uniting our people is one of my most passionate goals for our country.  I dream of a Kenya where we will not only be proud of our diverse heritage and cultures, but also where we will unite around our common aspirations as Kenyans.

Our shared aim is to end ethnic tensions and rivalry and to unite all our citizens.  I am determined to provide leadership towards the attainment of this noble objective. A united Kenya has tremendous potential for growth and development.  Indeed, Kenya is not a collection of 42 tribes who have to live together.  Kenya is one nation, assembled by divine providence and held together for the last 50 years by our common bond and belief in a brighter future for us and our children.