Celebrations to mark Kenya’s Jamhuri Day in Korea were held at Seoul’s Lotte Hotel on Thursday.

The anniversary of the country’s 48th year of independence was on Dec. 12. Jamhuri ― the Swahili word for “republic” ― marks Kenya’s establishment as a republic in 1963 and subsequent independence from the U.K. in 1964 and is the East African country’s most important holiday.

Kenyan Ambassador to Korea Ngovi Kitau proposed a toast to cries of “jambo” as well as giving Kenyans attending the event an economic and social update, including the country’s progress toward its 2030 development goals.

“Many sectors of our economy have recorded positive growth,” he said, citing the construction and energy sectors as big growth areas in the country now moving toward producing its own nuclear energy. 

“Growth has jumped from just one percent in 2002 to the current 5 percent. This growth has brought our revenue from just 200 million Kenyan shillings (about $2.3 million) to 600 million Kenyan shillings.”

He also hailed the country’s educational development saying: “We have also made great strides in the education sector. Today, close to 10 million children are enjoying the benefits of free education.”

Preparations for the Kenyan 2012 elections were also touched upon, with Kitau outlining measures being taken to ensure fair and violence-free polls could take place, in attempts to avoid a repeat of the violence after the 2007 presidential elections.

The envoy also praised the bilateral relationship between Kenya and Korea as going from “strength to strength,” anticipating further cooperation over the coming year.

By Kirsty Taylor (kirstyt@heraldcorp.com)