Kenyans set celebrate new Nairobi – Lowell Sister City relationship on Kenyatta Day

Kenyans and Americans in Lowell meet during delibarations in preparation for the inauguration of the Nairobi- Lowell sister city relashinship to be held next week during Kenyatta day celebrations. H.Maina/Ajabu

AjabuAfrica.com
By Our Reporter

LOWELL, Mass. OCTOBER 9_ A new relationship between the cities of Lowell in Massachusetts, USA and Nairobi, Kenya, has been born and the inaugural celebrations will be held next weekin conjunction with Kenyatta Day celebrations on Sunday 18th October.

An organizing committee involving a group of Kenyans and Americans has just finalized the groundwork and wishes to invite all Kenyans in New England to come and witness the historical occasion during which a Kenyan flag will be hoisted officially by Lowell Mayor, Edward “Bud” Caulfield in recognition to the new relationship.

The new relationship that is of great cultural significance, was made possible by a convergence of efforts by two different groups of people working independent of each other to give Kenyans a chance to celebrate their growing numbers in the city of Lowell where 5 % of the population has been estimated to be of Kenyan origin.

The first group headed by Bernie Ongewe a Kenyan living in Dracut with properties in Lowell and Bill Thomson, an American friend, came up with the idea. Thomson had gone to consult another friend, Vassillios  Javas , on the best gift to give to Kenyan friend of his who was just about to return to Kenya.

A renowned artist, Javas, who owns an art gallery on Market Street in downtown Lowell, recommended one of his very select plaques inscribed with scenes from the Lowell folk festival.

“To me that looked like the perfect gift one that Ongewe’s family would never forget and would relate to the life in America”, Thomson told a panel of the organizing committee last Saturday at the saint Stephens church.

He gave Ongewe the gift just before he left for Logan airport for his flight to Nairobi.

A few months later, Thomson thought that a similar, bigger gift could be given to the Mayor of Nairobi, where his friend Ongewe lives, as a sign to create a sisterhood.

Bernie Ongewe, one of the founders of Nairobi- Lowell sister city

As the gentlemen were working on their sister city idea, another group of enyans led by the Kenya Pastors Fellowship in New England, was working with the mayor’s office in Lowell to get a day when the huge Kenyan population in Lowell could get an opportunity to raise a Kenyan flag at the city hall during the upcoming Kenyatta Day celebrations.

Kenyatta day is a national Holiday in Kenya marked on the 12, October of each year.
Since October 12 fall on a Monday, the Pastors agreed to hold the event on the following Sunday, the 18 October and consulted the mayors office for the necessary permits.

Many Kenyan pastors have successfully organized the community under various churches to solve problems especially during deaths, wedding ceremonies and even in times of challenging legal matters.

Recently those pastors have been embarking on bringing Kenyans together to celebrate national holidays and other cultural events like the New England Kenyan Churches music festival. Last year, hundreds of Kenyans congregated at the Christ is The Answer Church in North Chelmsford to celebrate Jamhuri day, which is another national holiday in Kenya.

It was in the process that Ongewe and his friend were referred to the pastors so as to have the sister city idea carried out in conjunction with Kenyans residents of Lowell who already had some functioning community structures.

The two groups then started a series of meetings aimed at merging their individual missions to take place all together during the Kenyatta day celebrations.

Bill Thomson, one of the founders of Nairobi -Lowell sister city

During the steering committee meeting last Saturday, it was deliberated that the October 18 th celebrations will start from the grounds of the St. Anne’s Episcopal church, a few yards from the city hall.

A procession shall then take place to the steps of the Lowell city Hall where the Kenyan flag will be raised in recognition of this historical day.
 
Many important  guests will be there to  witness the occasion as the mayor of the City of Lowell  officially reads the declaration making the two cities new sister cities.

“There will be a representation from the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC and possibly some representation from the City of Nairobi”, said the chairman of the organizing committee, Rev. Samuel Kimohu of Saint Stephens Church.

“We ask all Kenyans in this city to turn out in large numbers dressed in national colors and bring their children and friends. This is a day for fun and people should come with flags and anything that show the culture of Kenya”, added Rev. Kimohu.

The committee decided that exhibitors of Kenyan arts and other products can showcase their wares on the grounds of the city hall at no fee.

Even those who have won various awards from anywhere like in games or other activities can showcase them” the committee declared.

They welcomed Kenyans from other cities in New England to the event because other cities will also need to learn from Lowell so they can as well create such relationships with other Kenyans cities like Mombasa.

The planning committee ended with setting a program for the day in which various Kenyans from the city of Lowell were identified to lead the occasion and present various awards.

Rev. Stephen Kimohu, chairman of the Kenyatta day and Nairobi- Lowell sister city celebrations organizing commitee

The program includes speeches, traditional dance performances, art exhibition and awards giving.  Popular Gospel Dj in Massachusetts, Dj Fresh, was slated to provide the entertainment after the formal session of the event.

Other expected performers are Njoroge Ngari of Mukarara Les Les, Saint Michaels Catholic youth choir, traditional dancers from Lowell and Worcester.

Various officials were voted on who will lead the occasion. Father Michael Komu of the Catholic Church was voted to lead the prayers. Vassillios   Javas was voted to read a brief history of the American flag while the chairman of the Kenya Christian Welfare association, Stephen Njuguna will tell the history of the Kenyan flag.

  Rev. Samuel Kimohu, the chairman of the organizing committee was voted the Mcee for the day.

Other committee members who will play a key role during the event include June Odongo from Lowell, Bill Thomson, Bishop David Karaya from Lowell, and Paul Waithaka from Brockton.