Kenya's Independence Day is celebrated on December 12! On this day in 1963, this country was freed from the colonial oppression of Great Britain.

The territories of modern Kenya fell into the British sphere of influence at the end of the XIX century. The advance of the colonizers into the interior of the continent caused active resistance of local tribes, to suppress which punitive expeditions were used. At the beginning of the XX century, a system of plantation economy began to take shape here, which assumed land expropriation and the use of forced labor of the African population.

In 1920, Kenya was declared a British colony. At the same time, a liberation movement was born here, which gradually acquired a spontaneous character. In 1952-1956, the anti-colonial Mau Mau uprising broke out here, which was brutally suppressed: at least 11.5 thousand Africans died during the fighting, and another 1.1 thousand rebels were executed. This event, however, forced London to make a number of concessions to the local population, which ultimately led to the complete transfer of power in Kenya to the African majority.

The diplomatic relations of the Soviet Union with Kenya were established two days after the country gained independence, on December 14, 1963. Our country took an active part in the development of the social infrastructure of the young African State and the training of national personnel. Thus, the hospital in Kisumu, built with the help of the USSR, is still one of the largest medical institutions in the country.

Russian-Kenyan relations are traditionally friendly. Among the promising areas of cooperation are sustainable energy, subsoil use, housing construction, transport, railway and road construction, infrastructure development.

Congratulations to the Kenyan people on the national holiday! We wish you peace, well-being and prosperity.