Madaraka Day celebrations get underway in Homa Bay » Capital News

HOMA BAY, Kenya, Jun 1 — President William Ruto is leading Madaraka Day celebrations in Homa Bay where the national event is taking place under the theme ‘Harnessing Kenya’s Blue Economy for Sustainable Growth.’

Ruto arrived at the Raila Odinga Sadium shortly after 10am on Sunday accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto.

The national event, marking Kenya’s self-rule anniversary, is being graced by Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, attending as a special guest at President Ruto’s invitation.

Also in attendance are Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and the Speakers of both Houses of Parliament alongside parliamentary leaders.

Speaking ahead of the celebrations, President Musar expressed her gratitude for the invitation, describing it as a touching and unexpected honor.

“I will try to reveal the soul of the Slovenian people to your people tomorrow,” she said. “I am looking forward to spending three marvelous days in Kenya.”

Addressing the media at State House, Nairobi on Saturday alongside President Ruto, Musar praised Kenya’s leadership on the global stage, particularly in advancing multilateralism, peace, and sustainable development.

“I’m more than happy to be here because of one important thing: both President Ruto and I believe deeply in multilateralism,” she said.

“We must work together, especially within the UN system, to address crises from Europe to the Middle East and Africa, including the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

She added that Slovenia and Kenya will continue their collaboration in global forums, including the UN General Assembly in New York this September and COP30 in Brazil, where climate action will be central.

Reforestation, innovation and cooperation

President Musar commended Kenya’s reforestation target of planting 15 billion trees, describing it as “a gift not just to Kenya but to the entire planet.”

She also praised the ongoing Space-SI satellite collaboration supporting flood prediction and river monitoring, calling it a model of environmental innovation.

Looking ahead, she expressed optimism about scaling up cooperation in artificial intelligence, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and water management. Slovenian firms, she noted, are already working on solutions to improve water efficiency in Kenya.

“Innovation is always the door to progress. Kenyan people are innovative, and Slovenian people are innovative,” she said. “Let’s see what we can achieve together.”

Shared vision for global equity

President Ruto described President Musar’s visit as a milestone in deepening Kenya–Slovenia ties and reiterated the need to reform global institutions to reflect current global dynamics.

“We acknowledged that the multilateral system must evolve to ensure greater equity, inclusivity, and accountability,” Ruto said.

He stressed the importance of Africa gaining permanent representation in the UN Security Council and called for a more inclusive and responsive international financial system.

As Kenya prepares to host the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in July, both leaders pledged to advocate for fairer global financing mechanisms.

President Musar also extended an invitation to President Ruto to visit Slovenia, affirming the growing spirit of friendship between the two nations.