Pictures: Kenyans in Baltimore, Maryland Celebrate Madaraka Day

Kenyans in Baltimore, Maryland held a colorful event on Saturday, June 16, 2012 to celebrate the 49^th Madaraka Day. The family-friendly event was attended by over 300 people and comprised activities for both young and old. It was a particularly entertaining and productive day for the young ones who got to learn and share with others what they know about their Kenyan heritage.

The Chief Guest was H.E. Elkanah Odembo, Kenya's Ambassador to the U.S.

The entire album of the event pictures is available here...

Below are some fo the highlights of the event:

Kids perform a dance...

H.E. Elkanah Odembo, Kenya's Ambassador to the U.S. joins kids in the dance...

Anna Mwalagho, an internationally renowned poet, singer, and story-teller, recites a poem at the event...

Kids performing a song...

Rappers in the making...

Kids performing a skit, making good fun of their parents' accents and culture...

Young women take part in a Fashion Show...

Young men take part in a Fashion Show...

Women were not to be left out. Below, they model their Kenyan/African attire...

Dressed in full and colorful Maasai attire...

The MC of the event, hard at work...

Mr Karanja Mwaura, the Chairman of the event organizing committee, gives a brief speech about the occasion and welcomes the Chief Guest..

H.E. Elkanah Odembo, Kenya's ambassador to the U.S. and the event Chief Guest delivers his keynote address. He briefed Kenyans on Dual Citizenship, upcoming Elections and Voter Registration in which Kenyans in the Diaspora will participate in for the first time ever, the different ways Kenyans in the Diaspora can participate in Kenya's Vision 2030, as well as on the recently launched Diaspora SACCO.

Ambassador Odembo is presented with a token of appreciation by Kenyans in Baltimore...

A secton of the Kenya Embassy staff in attendance introduce themselves.

A section of businessmen/women who sponsored the event introduce themselves and their businesses.

Baltimore-area businesswomen displaying their products...

A section of those in attendance...

A section of those in attendance...

Condolence books provided for signing by the Embassy for the Late Prof Gorge Saitoti (immediate former Kenya's Internal Security Minister and a past Vice President of the country) and Late Hon. Orwa Ojode (the Assistant Minister for Internal Security), who died in a helicopter crash on June 10, 2012 in Kenya along with two pilots and two bodyguards.

A celebration is not a celebration without food...

A video pre-recorded for the event by Jessie Karangu, a Journalism student at Salisbury University in Maryland. Jessie interviewed his fellow young Kenyan-Americans for a pre-recorded report to see how much they knew about Kenya, what the best thing was about being a Kenyan American, and what was most misunderstood about being a Kenyan-American.

The picture video below highlights part of the event in the form of a fashion show that was segmented in different forms of attire: tradition wear, casual wear, and formal wear....

View the rest of the event pictures here...