Kenyan Leaders Pledge to Work Together in Chicago

By Symon G. Ogeto
Posted on November 14, 2005

Chicago, IL -- Leaders of several Kenyan civic groups and businesses based in Illinois have agreed to work together in order to better serve their community mostly made up of immigrant, their descendant and Americans who have keen interests in this east Africa nation.

Leaders of various groups in Illinois that serve the Kenyan community pose for a group photo following a leadership summit on Saturday, Nov 12 at Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago. LtoR: Kalekye Musau, UKC Board member, Mukila Maitha, UKC president; Mrs. Theuri, Paul Kamugu, pastor of Swahili Chapel; Ed Wambugu, former president of Organization of East Africans;Jacob Sitati, CAKP president; James Theuri, KDNC executive director and Symon Ogeto, publisher of Mashariki Leo.

The leaders, who met on Saturday, Nov 12 at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library, spent over two hours brainstorming on they felt were the issues mostly affecting Kenyans and why there was a "great divide" among them with respect to loyalties displayed especially within the groups represented in the meeting.

Following the meeting Jacob Sitati, president of the Chicago association for Kenyan Professionals (CAKP), said, “We agreed that, indeed, we are broken down in groups and we stick to our already formed associations. For example CAKP has its loyal members who we can always count on to support our efforts.”

However, Sitati added, there is need to find a way to bridge that divide and have all groups coming together at least occasionally to realize our common interests and connection.

Even though the need to unify is greater, Sitati drove a point home saying, “It is significant to maintain our unique organizational structures as we serve different groups within our diversified community.”

One of the first steps the leaders wish to jumpstart the new found unity is to start working more in tandem by co-coordinating their weekly or monthly calendars.

This coordination will avoid duplication of activities. In addition, the groups will start seeking more help and have some of these coordinated events get inter-group co-sponsorship.

As part of their demonstration of this newfound unity, the leaders agreed to work together in encouraging the community through its members to participate in celebrating both Kenya and Tanzania’s independences on December 10.

Tanzania gained Independence, as Tanganyika, from British UN Trusteeship on Dec 09, 1961 and Kenya gained independence from Great Britain on Dec 12, 1963.

For the first time this year leaders of the Tanzanian Community Association - Midwest USA, NFP (TCA) and United Kenyans of Chicago (UKC) agreed to join hands to host a joint event to celebrate and reflect the closeness of the two nations.

The same unity has already been forming back home. National leaders from the three countries that form East Africa have already signed a charter to jumpstart the East Africa Community (EAC) in order to leverage their region’s economic muscle.

UKC president Mukila Maitha, sees the joint celebration as a significant milestone in the development of a lasting relationship between the two communities. “It shows what similarly oriented groups can achieve working together as Kenyans and Tanzanians in Illinois.”

Debbie Ondimu, who serves as CAKP Secretary General was delighted to learn that the meeting of the leaders took place. She said, “It seems like the other groups finally realized the need for this unity and I think no matter how long it will take for all groups to sing the same tune, it is a step in the right direction”

John Macharia, who serves a CAKP board member, was quick to endorse the unity. He said that the move to collaborate various efforts among Kenyans was highly welcomed.

“I believe we actually have links and pop ups for the other groups web sites on the CAKP site to help redirect traffic to our fellow community groups’ websites. Nonetheless, we may need to do more and really get involved within all Kenyan initiatives, said Macharia.

The complete list of the leaders in attendance included Ms. Kalekye Musau, UKC Board member, Mukila Maitha, UKC president; Paul Kamugu, pastor of Swahili Chapel; Ed Wambugu, former president of Organization of East Africans (OEA); Jacob Sitati, CAKP president; Mr and Mrs .James Theuri, executive directors of Kenya Development Network Consortium (KDNC) and Symon Ogeto, publisher of Mashariki Leo.

Another similar meeting will be scheduled in early 2006. This meeting was organized, by UKC.