Post by Onyango Oloo on Oct 21, 2005 0:09:56 GMT 3
Stop sidelining women, urges Wambui
By Mwangi Maina, Kenya Times, October 21, 2005
FORMER Mau Mau activist
Wambui Otieno yesterday blamed the government for sidelining women who participated in the freedom struggle.
Wambui said despite women having contributed equally in the fight for freedom, they have not been accorded the same treatment and recognition as their male counterparts.
She said, most roads and other public facilities had been named after famous male freedom fighters but only a few had been named after women who participated in the struggle.
Wambui was speaking during this year’s 42nd Kenyatta Day celebrations at the Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.
Former freedom fighter Achieng Oneko speaking after the celebrations, said he was not opposed to the government’s proposal to change the day to Mashujaa Day (Heroes Day).
He however said, the day would bear more significance if it remained as Kenyatta Day because the founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta after whom it is named was a leading figure in the struggle for independence.
“Keeping the name would also keep history,” said Oneko.
However, the renaming of the day to ‘Heroes Day’ has not been made official. President Kibaki in his speech referred to the celebrations as “commemoration of our national heroes day.”
He said though, freedom fighters had not made the proposal to have the name changed in their honour, he will respect the decision of Kenyans if they felt the name should be changed in honour of other freedom fighters.
Kenyatta Day is marked in commemoration of the release from detention of the late founding father of the nation Mzee Jomo Kenyatta alongside other freedom fighters such as Paul Ngei, Kung’u Karumba, Achieng Aneko, Bildad Kaggia and Fred Kubai on October 20, 1952.
This year’s celebrations could be the last should the proposed constitution be passed during at the referendum.
Civil society activist Kang’ethe Mungai expressed dismay at the treatment accorded the freedom fighters over the years during national celebrations.
He accused the government of doing business while most of the former freedom fighters languished in poverty.
Mungai further took issue with the government for not inviting the former freedom fighters to the national celebrations on a day, he said, should have been in their honour.
He said the president did not make anything significant of the national heroes day in his speech other than saying that he was pleased to once again join Kenyans in commemorating the national heroes day.
By Mwangi Maina, Kenya Times, October 21, 2005
FORMER Mau Mau activist
Wambui Otieno yesterday blamed the government for sidelining women who participated in the freedom struggle.
Wambui said despite women having contributed equally in the fight for freedom, they have not been accorded the same treatment and recognition as their male counterparts.
She said, most roads and other public facilities had been named after famous male freedom fighters but only a few had been named after women who participated in the struggle.
Wambui was speaking during this year’s 42nd Kenyatta Day celebrations at the Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.
Former freedom fighter Achieng Oneko speaking after the celebrations, said he was not opposed to the government’s proposal to change the day to Mashujaa Day (Heroes Day).
He however said, the day would bear more significance if it remained as Kenyatta Day because the founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta after whom it is named was a leading figure in the struggle for independence.
“Keeping the name would also keep history,” said Oneko.
However, the renaming of the day to ‘Heroes Day’ has not been made official. President Kibaki in his speech referred to the celebrations as “commemoration of our national heroes day.”
He said though, freedom fighters had not made the proposal to have the name changed in their honour, he will respect the decision of Kenyans if they felt the name should be changed in honour of other freedom fighters.
Kenyatta Day is marked in commemoration of the release from detention of the late founding father of the nation Mzee Jomo Kenyatta alongside other freedom fighters such as Paul Ngei, Kung’u Karumba, Achieng Aneko, Bildad Kaggia and Fred Kubai on October 20, 1952.
This year’s celebrations could be the last should the proposed constitution be passed during at the referendum.
Civil society activist Kang’ethe Mungai expressed dismay at the treatment accorded the freedom fighters over the years during national celebrations.
He accused the government of doing business while most of the former freedom fighters languished in poverty.
Mungai further took issue with the government for not inviting the former freedom fighters to the national celebrations on a day, he said, should have been in their honour.
He said the president did not make anything significant of the national heroes day in his speech other than saying that he was pleased to once again join Kenyans in commemorating the national heroes day.