By Tanya Ishikawa
With Kenya’s presidential race becoming clearer by the week, a delegation of Kenyan leaders – including the man who will likely become the African nation’s next president – arrive in Denver on Saturday, Sept. 8. Presidential hopeful Raila Odinga will be accompanied by his daughter Rosemary Odinga who is a marketing consultant and Parliamentary Member Kipkalya Kones, as well as Dr. Jacqueline Adhiambo Oduol, a parliamentary candidate who visited Denver in June.
The Kenyan dignitaries will attend events around the Denver metro area from Sept. 8 to 12, where they will meet with the business community, educators, local and state officials, and a wide range of organizations from scientific to cultural. Among the open public events are a welcome party at Kimball Hall in Five Points and an African Fiesta at Metropolitan College. The aim of the visit is to share visions for Kenya’s future, as well as developing economic and social partnerships.
 Odinga (pictured with former president Bill Clinton) is a frontrunner for the Kenyan presidency, a current member of parliament and the son of the first Kenyan vice president. The nation’s major newspaper The Standard reported in August that, according to pundits, Raila is as good as the presidential candidate for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) in the general election in December. The ODM has wide citizen support due to its populist reform plans, and Odinga is expected to be a strong challenger to incumbent President Mwai Kibaki of the National Rainbow Coalition.
Two Denver educational and leadership organizations are hosting Odinga and his delegation while in Colorado. The Friends of Leadership, Development & Governance (FLDG) aims to increase development opportunities in Kenya through contributing to quality leadership and good governance. The African-American Leadership Institute is a non-profit organization that focuses on leadership programs for adults and youth.
On Saturday, Sept. 8, the Kenyan delegation will be welcomed by the host committee in Centennial. From 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., they will be entertained and celebrated with lively African music at Kimball Hall on the corner of Washington Street and E. 24th Avenue.
On Sunday, Sept. 9, the delegation will attend a church service in the morning and a VIP reception in the evening. On Monday, Sept. 10, the Kenyans will begin the day with a tour of Centennial Airport, followed by an afternoon business forum and an evening reception, sponsored by the South East Denver Business Associations and Centennial Airport.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, the University of Denver will host a morning forum led by the Kenyan officials, followed by a campus tour. In the afternoon, Metropolitan State College will host the “Building Bridges Across Cultures” forum at the St. Cajetan's Center on the Auraria Campus, where they will discuss authentic leadership, bringing change in a democratic environment, and other political, social, and economic issues. The forum hosts are the Department of African and African American Studies, the African Students Organization, the Diversity Office, the Political Science Department, and the Black Students Office at the University of Colorado at Denver.
The final event of the Kenyan’s visit will be an African Fiesta fundraising event from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., also at St. Cajetan’s, highlighted by an African fashion show, cuisine, and drum and dance performances.
“There will be an extravaganza of ethnic cuisine, dance, and music,” said Dr. Lucas Shamala, a Metro professor from Kenya. “It is open to the students and members of the public. Come one. Come all.”
Editor's note: For information on the fundraiser or any other activities with the Kenyan officials, call FLDG founder Joseph Koyugi at 720-221-3259 or e-mail him at joseoyugi@hotmail.com.
Return To Top |
