MACHAKOS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PRINCIPAL’S CULTURAL DAY SPEECH WHICH WAS HELD IN JUNE 24TH 2022 AT MACHAKOS SOCIAL HALL
To the distinguished guest, director, staff and students, good morning. I’m honored to welcome you today in the 1st Cultural Ceremony, since covid-19 crippled in the world.
This is a notable day for MIT students and the entire institution which created this event in order to highlight outstanding personalities whose work has had a significantly positive impact in the cultural legacy of human.
I am delighted to welcome you to the 2022 MIT Cultural DAY dubbed NCTD.
I want to begin by thanking the organizing committee of this event led by Mr. Mbae and Mr. Ronald, for their tireless efforts that have made this day a success.
I also wish, in a big way, to recognize our director for his great contribution in facilitating this event.
The theme of this year’s NCTD is aptly captured as: “Nurturing and celebrating Talent Diversity”. It aims at appreciating and promoting talents and skills among MIT students as well as the provision of opportunities and a platform for practicing different skills, talents and ideas. These are reflected through performances such as fashion show, traditional dance, hospitality skills, catwalk, narratives, drama, comedy, poetry and music among others.
By tapping talent from our diverse cultures, this event plays a great role in enhancing national cohesion and integration, which is highly emphasized in our institution and country too.
It also provides an opportunity to rediscover our roots, and to remind ourselves of our tangible and intangible cultural heritage that has been in existence for generations.
Those who have been here for the last three years will agree with me that we have always been improving from our first Cultural Festival in 2012.
MIT is committed to supporting cultural activities of our students as well as providing the necessary support for talented students to ensure they reach their desired goals.
The event is about commemorating our culture and other cultures beyond our communities and country. It must be well understood that, preserving our culture doesn’t mean disrespecting other peoples’ cultures, but ensuring we pass on that which defines us to the next generation. Culture has been known since man came to existence and we are still practicing it till today. Through cultural integration, we learn how to be better people in the society and how to live together as brothers and sisters. Every individual has a distinguished attitude, behaviors as well as traits.
It is only through appreciating each other’s culture that we will live in harmony as a community. Cultural Festivals are catalysts for intercultural dialogue and they reach out to people from different backgrounds and across generations.
In addition, they open our eyes to our historical existence. Our cultural heritage keeps our memories alive of how beliefs and cultural expressions have contributed to the growth of society.
Cultural Festivals, like this one, bring people together in shared experiences at regional and national levels. Under no circumstance, should a person abandon his or her culture. I want to call upon all students and staff to try all their level best to appreciate and feel proud of their culture. This is because it is believed that you will not know the importance of something unless it is taken away from you.
It is also important to appreciate that culture is not static; it changes as the human beings develop. We therefore should not let ourselves be prisoners of any retrogressive culture. Ladies and gentlemen, through our talents, contributions, ideas and knowledge that we acquire here at the MIT, let us shape the future of Kenya’s cultural landscape.
With those few remarks, I declare the 2022 MIT Cultural DAY officially opened. Thank you and God bless you.
PREPARED BY: JUDY KYANIA
PRINCIPAL
MACHAKOS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY