Yonathan Menkir Kassa
When I first arrived in Nairobi in 2007, one of the things that impressed me most about Kenya was its great respect for His Majesty the Emperor Haile Selassie.
There are only 3 major avenues in the beautiful Nairobi. They are Jomo Kenyatta, Haile Selassie and Moi (their second president).
“When Kenyatta was a student in the United Kingdom, he used to hang the Ethiopian green, yellow and red flag in his room on 75 Castle Road,” wrote historian Jeremy Murray Brown.
After independence, Kenya made them the first foreign dignitaries to be honored. It was in June 1964 that Jamuri Day was celebrated.
Jomo Kenyatta has traveled abroad only twice during his 15 years as president. One was in July 1964 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and the second and final trip was to Addis Ababa. During their visit, they were impressed by the fact that our Air Force made the JOMO sign in the sky with its aircraft.
And Kenya commemorates Haile Selassie yesterday with the freedom of its fathers, and today with its young leaders, remembering the King’s great contribution to the freedom and spirit of Africans.
This is the reason why His Majesty Haile Selassie was recently named one of the 10 Interchanges connecting the Kenyan capital Nairobi to Mombasa.
Kenya’s reverence for His Majesty does not end with the names of the capital Nairobi and its highways. There is also Trinity Street, named after the port and tourist city of Mombasa.
Neighboring Kenya celebrates Pan-Africanism and greatness while honoring its citizens. What are we calling our institutions? What are we teaching our generation?
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