Former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has stirred mixed reactions online after posting a provocative message on her Facebook page stating that there is “no Happy Jamhuri Day,” arguing that Merians and Kenyans at large have little to celebrate.
Speaking to the Voice Daily on phone, Mwangaza said the spirit of Jamhuri Day cannot be genuine when “people of Meru who fought for independence are still living as squatters in Machaka slums in Buuri Constituency Meru County.”
She added that residents in large parts of Meru including Tigania, Igembe and Buuri continue to suffer due to persistent cattle rustling, which she said has left many families living in fear and economic distress.
“There cannot be a Happy Jamhuri when our county hospitals lack proper medication,” she said, warning that the challenges facing Meru reflect deeper national struggles.
According to the former governor, the meaning of Jamhuri Day is diluted when Kenyans are still battling what she termed “precolonial problems,” including poverty, squatter settlements, weak education systems and the high cost of living.
Despite the online debate triggered by her remarks, Jamhuri Day celebrations in Meru County proceeded as scheduled at Shabaha Stadium in Nkubu, Imenti South.
Edited by John Majau.
