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The Ministry of Interior has announced that County-based celebrations that are normally held alongside the national Mashujaa Day event will be banned this year due to Covid-19.
Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Karanja Kibicho said only the Presidential ceremony to be hosted in Kirinyaga county will be permitted to stem potential spread of the pandemic.
Besides the President's function, other counties during this year’s Mashujaa Day will be frozen.
The directive marks a deviation from the tradition where County Commissioners and governors have held mini celebrations at county at headquarters.
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“No celebrations will be held in other counties as it has always been the case. We don’t want to escalate the spread of Covid-19, and that is why we are freezing similar activities in other counties.”
Dr. Kibicho was speaking after inspecting ongoing works at Wanguru Stadium, the venue for the event on October 20th.
According to the PS, the facility is almost 80 percent complete and will be delivered by October 5th alongside the County Commissioner’s residence in Kerugoya, which will double up as a State Lodge.
“We are satisfied with the progress made so far. From the brief we have received from the construction team, we have never been closer to this level of preparation ahead of national holiday. This and other infrastructure meant to facilitate this year’s event will be ready by October 5,” he said.
Kirinyaga will join Nakuru, Machakos, Meru, Nyeri, Kakamega, Mombasa, Narok, and Kisii that have hosted two of the three national holidays since 2015 when H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the celebrations be held outside Nairobi on a rotational basis.
He was accompanied by his counterparts, Gordon Kihalangwa (Public Works), Prof. Paul Maringa (Infrastructure), Jerome Ochieng (ICT), Josephta Mukobe (Culture & Heritage), Esther Koimett (Broadcasting & Telecommunications), and Charles Hinga (Housing) as well as Deputy Head of Public Service Wanyama Musiambo.