Kenya: VP Roots for Preservation of Culture and Heritage
By Nicholas Tago
NAIROBI---Kenya’s Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has called on the global community to preserve its cultural heritage to ensure that societies maintain and link with the past and raise healthy generations for the future. In his opening remarks at the 5th Session of the Inter-Governmental Committee for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage, Musyoka urged the global community to acknowledge the fact that the global village of the 21st century with its versatile cross continental communication capacity has redefined the value, dissemination and role of culture in human interaction. He noted that Kenya was honoured to host this forum, given that it was the first African country to do so. He said this will rekindle the place of intangible cultural heritage in national policy formulation.
“The opportunity to redress intangible cultural heritage and bequeath it the status of national capital could not have come at a better time for Kenyans. I am convinced so because at this point in time, our nation is undergoing a renewal following the recent promulgation of a new constitution that recognizes the value of culture in national development”, said Musyoka.
Kenya’s Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture William Ole Ntimama noted that with the 2003 Convention for the safeguarding of an intangible cultural heritage, countries of the world have now, more than ever before, moved closer to harmony and mutual encounter in many significant ways.
“I must thank the great efforts put by a number of international governmental and non-governmental organizations in harnessing the common elements which brings people and nations closer together”, Ntimama told delegates.
The two-day conference has brought together over 400 delegates representing committee members to the 2003 Convention, state parties to the Convention, civil society, as well as experts in intangible cultural heritage. It was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Government of Kenya.