Jah Cure will headline the July 6 Umoja Splash Festival in Nairobi, Kenya. The show’s objective is to unite the country’s tribes which have had their share of conflict since the 1990’s.
Umoja Splash Festival is a joint promotion by Kenya Don, who has staged numerous shows in Africa and the United Arab Emirates; and Thomas Kwaka, director of events in the office of Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta.
“I have decided to keep this show to unite the different communities living in Kenya which are over 42 tribes, so we want to promote the co-existence of all of them as we promote the message of one love, one heart, one destiny. We are all one even though there are different languages and communities, we are all together,” said Kenya Don.
Umoja, he explained, is Swahili for unity. Umoja Splash Festival takes place at Uhuru Gardens.
The slate of artists has not been confirmed, but Kenya Don disclosed that Jah Cure will make his second appearance in the East African country. The Grammy-nominated singer performed in Kenya in December, 2012.
“Jah Cure is very popular in Kenya right now. He was there five years ago and it’s the right time to bring him back to launch this festival series,” said Kenya Don.
Since Kenya gained independence from Great Britain in 1963, there have been bouts of tribal conflict. The bloodiest took place in 2007-08 when opponents of president Mwai Kibaki challenged the legitimacy of his election in December, 2007.
Those differences led to violent clashes between various tribes and security forces, resulting in over 1,300 deaths.
In 2013, Kenyatta (son of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president) succeeded Kibaki as president and there has been sustained peace since. Kenya Don believes shows like Umoja Splash Festival can maintain that unity in the country of 50 million people.
“There is great stability in Kenya now Business striving, peace prevailing all communities are at peace so we want to enhance this and continue the same vibration,” he said.
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