Speech by His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto, Phd., C.G.H on Jamhuri Day December 12, 2023

Abstract

I am delighted to have the privilege of leading the people of our nation in celebrating the important milestone in our journey to national independence. Sixty years ago, on a day like this, Kenya took its final step of the freedom struggle to become a sovereign Republic. According to the vision of our forefathers who fought for this country’s freedom, independence was intended to bestow on us the gifts of political as well as economic self-determination. This anniversary gives us the opportunity to gather as a family and reflect together on how we have fared over the course of six decades. It is clear that we have made undeniable progress on many fronts and, as a result, our nation may be said to have come a long way in the right direction. Before that first Jamhuri Day, Kenya’s sovereignty was exercised by an unelected, foreign and colonial power for the benefit of an occupying minority.