Pomp and colour at first Utamaduni Day festivals

First Lady Rachael Ruto at Utamaduni Day Bomas of Kenya dancing with various traditional dancers. The inaugural Utamaduni Day celebrations attracted hundreds of Kenyans who showcased their cultural diversity. Dance troupes drawn from the Maasai, Luo, Luhya, Kuria, Kikuyu and Somali communities, among others, entertained guests at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi on Tuesday, October 10. First Lady Rachel Ruto said in future, the national government will support Utamaduni Day celebrations in the 47 counties to ensure Kenyans learn their rich cultural values, adding that our culture "defines us and connects us to the global community." She cited the Maa culture which has attracted global attention and serves as the identity of Kenya at the international stage. "Our cultural values enhance tourism in the country, which is a reminder to support the Brand Kenya. Our culture represents our traditional dressing attire, our unique cuisines and our languages which define us among the various communities which should serve as our strength as a country," said the First Lady. She told Kenyans not to be ashamed of their culture and embrace it since it is what makes us stand out among the community of nations. "Let all Kenyans take the initiative to explore various cultures by visiting various counties and learn the ways of various communities and in return they will be supporting our domestic tourism since we have a beautiful country which has attracted tourists from other parts of the world," she said. The Head of Public Service Felix Koskei regretted that corruption had permeated every sector of the economy yet this is against our cultural values, pointing out that all communities do not have a word to describe corruption which is a clear indicator that the vice was foreign. Koskei said it was high time that Kenyans embraced traditional values, which do not condone corruption. He emphasised that most citizens have deviated from the rich African cultural values that advocated for fairness, honesty and dedication to our communities. "Our various communities have so many positive values and I have established none of them has a word describing corruption since it was not there since everyone valued their neighbours and would not take anything not belonging to them like it is happening in the modern world," said Koskei. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria stood out during the event with his traditional Agikuyu elder attire. He steered clear of politics, only stating that he was proud of the community that he hailed from and his title as an elder, which enabled him to enjoy a privileged status. Kuria said Kenyans have many positive things to learn from their respective cultures and they need to carry out a self-assessment of the things that they do that go against their respective cultures and make necessary amends since the African cultures value good behaviour. "Our Kenyan cultures have very many positive values which if we all embrace, we could have one of the most admirable countries to live in the world," he said. Cultural Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir said her department will push for a national dress as an identity for Kenyans. Bashir promised to ensure that Utamaduni Day celebrations across the country will be vibrant. Members of Parliament and senior government officials attended the celebrations newsdesk@standardmedia.co.ke

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