Kenya’s President William Ruto is set to attend the 60th anniversary of the Union of Mainland and the Island of Zanzibar public holiday.
In a statement from the Office of the State House Spokesperson, Ruto’s attendance at the Tanzanian event will underscore Kenya’s neighbourliness.
“The President’s participation in this national celebration will underscore Kenya’s cherished relationship, good neighborliness, and steadfast partnership and solidarity with the United Republic of Tanzania and its people,” read the statement issued on April 25, 2024.
Tanzanians are gearing up to celebrate Union Day on April 26, 2024, a day in which the East African country celebrates the creation of the Republic of Tanzania through the union of two formerly sovereign states: The Republic of Tanganyika and the People’s Republic of Zanzibar. The first celebrations were held on April 26, 1964.
President Ruto’s trip to Tanzania to celebrate a national public holiday comes in the wake of Tanzania President Samia Suluhu snubbing Kenya’s 60th birthday, on Jamhuri Day, which is feted annually on December 12.
So notable was her absence that President Ruto had to make a statement on it during a roundtable interview with journalists from various media groups.
He claimed President Suluhu, and her Uganda counterpart, President Yoweri Museveni, had not been invited to the event.
“Do they Normally attend our Jamhuri Day? No. How do you ask about the absence of somebody who is never there? We didn’t invite them and some just came because we are in East Africa. Do I attend the national holidays of other countries? I don’t. That does not mean there is a problem,” said President Ruto.
However, reports out of Tanzania following Kenya’s national holiday, reported that President Suluhu could not attend the event as she had been dealing with the consequences of a devastating flooding that had occurred in the northern parts of Tanzania.
Instead, she sent former president Hassan Mwinyi and his wife, Mrs Mariam Mwinyi, to represent her.
Kenya had been marking 60 years since it became a Republic after it attained freedom from British colonialists and became independent in 1963.
The 2023 celebrations were held at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi’s Lang’ata Constituency. At these gardens was where the Kenyan flag was first raised and is touted as the birthplace of Kenya.
President Ruto is also slated to tour Zimbabwe.
