File photo by M.Mbaya/ML

June 6 -- About 100 Kenyans and their American families and friends gathered Saturday at a park in Wauconda, 40 miles northwest of Chicago to celebrate independence of their East African homeland from British rule.

The Madaraka Day celebration was held at Lake County Forest Reserve in Wauconda. The event was organized by United Kenya of Chicago (UKC), a civic group that caters to a growing population of Kenyans, who are settling in the large Illinois metropolis.

Kenyans at home have been celebrating Madaraka Day the first day of every June 1 since 1963, when their homeland became an independent nation after nearly 100 years of colonial rule. In Chicago, natives of the East African nation had to celebrated the 41st year of self rule for their native country over the weekend because the official date for the event this year came on a Tuesday when most Americans had to work or go to school.

Michael Were, a Kenyan who lives in Milwaukee, helped kick off the festivities with the singing of Kenya’s national anthem, "Oh God of Our Creation."

In a short speech, Were, who has been living in the United States for more than 20 years asked fellow Kenyans to mark Madaraka by striving to building unity among them. That unity, he said would help promote African cultural values that can be passed on the coming generation of Kenyan immigrants in the nation.

Mukila Maitha, UKC president urged the Kenyan community in Chicago to find ways of helping Kenya became a better nation while still pursuing the American dream. One good way to attain those goals, he said, is to form or join civic organization that promote grassroots community development and

"Though there are many ways to do so, I urge you to start by joining UKC," Maitha said.

The Madaraka festivities at Wauconda were marked with huge consumption of Kenyan and American foods including grilled lamb, goat, hotdogs and chicken with spiced Kachumbari, a garnish made of avocado, tomatoes, hot pepper, and parsley.

Children of varying ages entertained to a piñata game, a common Mexican-American children’s game where children attempt to strike and burst-open a small woven sack
filled with candies while their eyes are covered.

Daniel Kavuu, a seven-year-old boy won the day with his magic strike that let open the piñata before all its candies pore out amid scrambling children.


The event Saturday marked the second year in a row that UKC has organized Madaraka Day celebration in the Chicago area. The organization joined hands with the Kenyan community in Milwaukee to host this year's event. More than 15 Kenyans traveled from Wisconsin to attend the festivities.

Dr. Eustace Kaijage, vice president of the Tanzanian Association in the Midwest was one of the many invited East African guests in attendance.