Swindon24’s newest Junior Reporter, Fiona Kirigo, who is herself part of Swindon’s Kenyan community, spent the day speaking to organisers, visitors and traders at this year’s Swindon Kenyan Festival to discover how the event has evolved beyond its original purpose.
Now in its third year, the festival has expanded from bringing together members of the local Kenyan community to welcoming people from all backgrounds to experience Kenyan food, music, fashion and culture.
Held under sunny skies, this year’s event attracted families from across Swindon and further afield, with organisers describing it as the biggest and busiest festival so far.
Organising committee member Fred Kerry Njonjo said the festival allows Kenyans living thousands of miles from home to reconnect with their heritage while sharing it with others.
“This is the third year we have had this event,” he said.
“We started much smaller as Kenyans in the Park. Other places like Reading have done their tenth and London their fifteenth, but this is only our third.
“It is very important because once a year it brings all the Kenyans, their friends and their children together. We get to display our Kenyan culture, Kenyan food, Kenyan attire and Kenyan music to the people of Swindon who are not Kenyan, so they know who we are, what we do and how we live.”
Living nearly 8,000 miles from Kenya, Fred said preserving those traditions matters more than ever.
“The food and our cultural heritage are important because they show everybody who you are and where you’re from. It gives you a sense of belonging. Being far from Kenya, it brings home here.”
That sense of belonging was echoed by many people attending the festival.
Dan Kinungi described the event’s greatest strength simply as “the sense of identity”, while Swindon resident Ruth Ngugi said it is particularly important for younger generations growing up in Britain.
“I think this is important, especially for our children to see our culture,” she said.
“Our children are second or third generation migrants. It’s wonderful for them to see our culture and have a sense of belonging. It’s so nice to be amongst your own, speak Swahili and celebrate the things that remind us of Kenya.”
Festival organiser Mungai Njiriri said the event’s ambitions have changed as it has continued to grow.
“The reason we put this together is because we’ve got so many Kenyans living in Swindon, and most of them didn’t even know each other,” he said.
“We wanted to bring them together so we could embrace and celebrate our Kenyan culture.
“We’re calling it Kenyans in Swindon and Friends because we want to bring more people, not just Kenyans.
“As you can see today, we’ve got people from different nations and different cultures who have come to this event. We’re hoping next year will be even more successful.”
Visitors also praised the festival for bringing communities together.
Erica said:
“Swindon has a lot of diversity, so I definitely think it’s important for all the communities to come together and celebrate our cultures.”
Food proved to be one of the day’s biggest attractions, with visitors queuing for Kenyan favourites including ugali, mukimo, matoke, chapati and nyama choma. One chef said:
“Nyama choma is Kenya’s most famous traditional food. Every tribe has it, cooked slightly differently, but it’s the same tradition.”
Nearby, volunteers prepared pots of mukimo, describing the traditional mix of potatoes, greens, beans and maize as one of Kenya’s healthiest and most balanced dishes.
The festival also featured traditional clothing, handmade crafts and jewellery. One family-run business explained that sales help support mothers and artisans in Kenya by providing an income and helping pay school fees.
As music filled the park and families danced together, there was a clear sense that the event has become about more than celebrating one nationality.
In just three years, the Swindon Kenyan Festival has grown from a gathering of neighbours into a celebration that reflects the changing face of the town, with organisers hoping it will continue bringing communities together for many summers to come.
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