HOMA BAY — Standing beneath the bright skies of Homa Bay on Sunday, Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar delivered a pointed message: Kenya must guard its independence, not only from outside influence, but from the shadows of colonial attitudes that still linger.
“Colonialism didn’t just vanish in the 1960s,” she said. “Its tone, its condescension they didn’t disappear overnight. But there’s a way to build confidence and take your place on the world stage.”
President Pirc Musar was the guest of honour at Kenya’s 62nd Madaraka Day a national celebration marking the day in 1963 when the country achieved self-rule from Britain. Speaking to thousands gathered in the western lakeside town, she praised Kenya’s post-independence journey while urging continued vigilance.
In a speech that ranged from history to geopolitics, she reflected on how smaller nations, both in Africa and Europe, must resist being pawns in a world still shaped by the ambitions of great powers.
“We live in a world where both old and emerging powers are once again shaping the global order,” she said. “But what about us? Are we ready to raise our voices? Mr President, we are ready.”
President William Ruto listened alongside dignitaries and community leaders as the Slovenian head of state commended Kenya’s resilience in the face of past injustice including forced land removals and brutal colonial labour systems.
“The struggle for freedom came at a heavy cost,” she said. “But it laid the foundation for a sovereign nation. That must never be forgotten.”
Pirc Musar drew historical parallels between Kenya’s fight for self-determination and her own country’s path out of Yugoslavia, stressing that shared values such as justice, unity, and sustainable development continue to bind both nations.
She pointed to the legacy of Kenya’s founding president, Jomo Kenyatta, as a visionary not only for his own country but for the African continent. “He believed a strong Africa means a strong Kenya,” she said.
Her remarks also touched on the legacy of the Pan-African Congress of 1945, which helped inspire African independence movements. “The dream of a united Africa is not just history,” she said, noting Kenya’s role in pushing forward the African Continental Free Trade Area.
On the world stage, she praised Kenya’s longstanding engagement with multilateral institutions, saying it plays a vital diplomatic role. “Kenya’s international voice matters. It matters now more than ever.”
She also underlined Slovenia’s commitment to global cooperation, citing its current seat on the UN Security Council. “Wherever injustice happens, our diplomats speak out,” she said.
The president’s visit, her first to Kenya, comes at a time when African nations are reassessing their place in a shifting world order. Many are seeking stronger ties beyond traditional Western partners, even as old dynamics prove hard to shake.
Closing her speech, Pirc Musar issued a broader call not just to Kenya, but to the world.
“Peace, justice, and prosperity must not be the privilege of a few,” she said. “Only a united global community can face today’s challenges poverty, climate change, exclusion. This is not optional. It’s necessary.”
For Kenyans reflecting on over six decades of self-rule, her words struck both a note of warning and a call to action. The work of independence, it seems, is far from done.
