Utamaduni Day was marked today for the first time with a national event in what marks the culmination of over one and a half decades of uncertainty and rebranding of the first national holiday of the month of October in Kenya.
The Bomas of Kenya came alive on this 10th day of October with an explosion of colour, tastes and sound, the melting pot that is the culture of Kenya.
This is a significant day in the country’s calendar of events. This is the inaugural national Utamaduni Day celebration.
Before it became Utamaduni Day, this day was marked as Moi day and was celebrated not only to honour the then head of state but also in his words, a day dedicated to volunteerism and service to others.
This day was however laid to rest with the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, losing its place among the roster of the country’s national holidays in Kenya.
For seven years, Moi Day as it was then known erased from the country’s calendar. A petitioner moved to the courts to reinstate the day, on grounds that eliminating the day would prevent employees from receiving benefits as outlined in the Employment Act.
He also added that, like Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, his successor Moi deserved a day named in his honour.
In 2017, this day was restored by way of a court ruling, earning its place on the holidays set in Kenya.
With its return, in 2017, the day resumed being marked as a public holiday with no official celebrations at the national level.
In 2019, Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cabinet approved the changing of names from Moi to Huduma Day. And as the Swahili name, Huduma, translated to service suggests, the day was designated to encourage service to others, borrowing heavily from the original intention of Moi day.
A year later, the public holiday marked on the 10th October underwent yet another name change, as Huduma gave way to Utamaduni Day, which is now used to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity and heritage.
