NAIROBI, Kenya — Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed deep gratitude to the Government and people of Angola for posthumously honouring Kenya’s founding father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, during celebrations marking Angola’s 50th Independence Anniversary.
The recognition, conferred under the Honour Class by President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, celebrates Mzee Kenyatta’s legacy as a Pan-Africanist leader whose vision of unity and self-determination helped shape post-colonial Africa.
The award ceremony took place in Luanda on Thursday, November 6, 2025. Mzee Kenyatta’s son, Muhoho Kenyatta, received the decoration on behalf of the Kenyatta family, in a presentation facilitated by Kenya’s Ambassador to Angola, Joyce Khasimwa M’maitsi.
Muhoho Kenyatta said the gesture was not only an honour to his father but also a reaffirmation of the enduring friendship between Kenya and Angola.
“This prestigious award serves as a powerful reminder of the Pan-African ideals that Mzee Jomo Kenyatta championed — a vision of a united, free, and self-determined Africa,” he said. “His solidarity with Angola’s liberation movement was rooted in the belief that the destiny of all African nations is interconnected.”
Statement from Office of the Fourth President of Kenya on the Posthumous Decoration of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta by the Republic of AngolaThe Office of the Fourth President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, wishes to express its profound gratitude to His Excellency
The recognition, which also honoured other notable African figures, underlined the shared struggle of African nations in overcoming colonial rule.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Office of the Fourth President congratulated the people of Angola on their Golden Jubilee, extending wishes of continued peace and prosperity.
“This award celebrates not just an individual, but the historical bonds and shared aspirations that unite Kenya and Angola,” the statement read.
