His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces on 25 July 2022 hosted members of the press at the Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum (UGNM&M) in Lang’ata.
The occasion is a prelude towards operationalization of the facility and is part of the stakeholders evaluation process aimed at creating public awareness. So far, a total of 16 out of 33 galleries have been completed and will be open to the public before the year ends.
In his remarks, the Head of State implored the media to make good use of the facility to validate stories and enrich their profession as the facility reflects the diverse culture and heritage of the Kenyan people. He also urged the media to come on board in helping the Museum get the word out to the public that would lead to their contribution in terms of provision of even more artifacts.
“Once completed, this facility shall be open to all Kenyans and will help us understand and appreciate our diversity and the mix that goes into making us who we are and hopefully we can take pride in that,” he added.
The President further assured that the facility would in due course provide fascinating recreational services to the citizens as well as host national functions.
“Our vision was to not only make this a Museum but also a recreational center to enable people of all walks of life to come here and enjoy themselves. I was impressed that the KDF hosted one of the largest and successful AirShows in the month of May. We look forward to continue hosting a number of national celebrations,” he added.
His sentiments were echoed by the Chief of Defence Forces, General Robert Kibochi who described UGNM&M as the largest Museum in the Sub-Saharan Africa. He noted that the Museum is a multi-agency run facility comprising of the KDF, National Police Service, National Museum of Kenya and the Ministry of Sports and Heritage as he added that the team had traversed all the 47 Counties in search of the various artifacts.
The facility sits on a 68-acre parcel of land which features a gallery for founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and successors, a Hall of Martyrs, Boulevard of Heroes, Garden of the People, Museum of the People and sculptures of icons Dedan Kimathi and Mekatilili wa Menza capping the displays.
Before the complete opening to the public UGNMM will host various stake holders including students, persons living with disabilities, community elders, historians as well as scholars in a quest to ensure that the project is completed with accuracy and consideration for all groups.
In attendance at the event were Cabinet Secretaries Hon Eugene Wamalwa (Defence), Ukur Yatani (National Treasury) and Peter Munya (Agriculture), Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lieutenant General Francis Ogolla, Service Commanders and senior government officials.
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