The Mountain Journal
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki says local cultures and languages are critical to national development, calling for their preservation in the wake of technological advancement and other emerging threats.
Prof. Kindiki said Kenya is founded on strong cultural values that must be protected at all costs to ensure a prosperous and advanced nation.
Speaking on Monday when he graced the closing of the 98th Kenya Music and Cultural Festival Gala in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County, the DP added that Kenya’s Constitution spells out clearly the importance of culture in the nation’s advancement.
“Language and culture are the strongest form of identity one can ever have. It is stronger than any career or education. Anyone abandoning their language is a slave.
Language and culture forms the bedrock of our Constitution and the State is obligated to protect our diverse cultures and languages. The Constitution demands that all of us be protected in our diversity,” DP stated.
The DP reiterated that the nation’s hardware entailing good infrastructure including roads, water, electricity systems and others must be complemented with the best software composed of good morals and values for the country to realise faster development.
“As much as we build the hardware we need to focus also on our software. We must promote good morals among our children because you can have intelligent children but with poor morals who end up being useless and they will head nowhere,” he emphasized.
The Festival was awash with a cocktail of music, dance, drama, traditional plays and acts, a range of attire and food that showcased the richness of Kenya’s culture.
The DP called on parents and guardians to pass all the positive cultural traits to the next generation raising concern that most children have not adopted much from the older generation as it should be.
“Many of our children have little respect for our traditions and culture, little respect for elders, community and traditions. We must work hard to impart these values on them and reset the foundation of our nation,” Prof. Kindiki said.
In advancing the nation’s infrastructure, the Deputy President highlighted the progress made in expanding the road network, electricity connection, and improving water systems in line with the promises made by the Kenya Kwanza Administration.
He said the dualling of Rironi-Mau Summit Highway, which is one of the government’s signature projects is being hastened and will be extended to Eldoret and then Malaba.
The government is also speeding up electricity connection which is presently at 10.6 million households. The target is universal power connection by 2030. Irrigation of over 2 million acres of land is also underway with the objective of raising food production in the country.
The DP said all these are achievable through innovative ways of funding saying the pursuit of public private partnerships and sale of stakes in government-owned companies will be further explored.
“We must look for innovative ways to build more roads, water, electricity and realization of other infrastructure projects,” he stated.
The DP was joined by Gender and Culture Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo, Culture and Heritage Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir, Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, Kericho Governor Erick Mutai, MPs Julius Rutto (Kesses), Joseph Wainana (Nominated) and others.
