Kenyans who participated at this year’s Irreechaa festival said traditional events like this one are best platform to enhance people to people relations between Ethiopia and Kenya.
Irreechaa festival, which is an annual Thanksgiving holiday among the people of Oromo, was colorfully celebrated on Saturday and Sunday in Addis Ababa and Bishfotu town respectively.
The festival was attended by millions of people from across the country including foreign nationals and the Ethiopian diaspora.
Yessuf Dibab, from Kenya told ENA that Irreechaa is one of the best and most celebrated festivals in eastern, central Africa and Africa at large.
He and his teams have traveled almost three days to reach Ethiopia “because of one reason; to strengthen unity with Ethiopians by participating at the festival.
I’m so much proud to see my brothers and sisters; he said adding that this place is actually very beautiful and we share a common cultural background and that is why we are here to celebrate the festival.
Irreechaa is something that has really brought us together. expressing wish to recommend the governments of Kenya and Ethiopia to work together not only on cultural relation, but also on trade.
“Irreechaa festival is where most of people came together. It’s one of the largest festivals in East and Central Africa. And it has really brought us together. Imagine someone just walk from his home like me like all from Kenya up to here, just to come and celebrate together in peace, love and joy, that is really amazing and beautiful.”
He explained that the hospitality accorded to them was beyond expectations and he is so much grateful for that.
His fellow Dido Guracho on his part said along the way to Irreechaa celebration they received very good reception from Ethiopian officials and the regional government.
There are also many others from South Africa, Egypt and people who are coming from Europe and may be America to part take at the event.
“I would like to tell our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia that we should continue bonding ourselves together. And also we should continue to promote Irreechaa festival because this is one of the platforms that can bring us together; It’s an instrument that shows the unity and the love that we have for each other,” he said.
Abdulkerim Haji on his part explained that he and his team traveled almost 2,500 kilometers to come to Addis Ababa and the journey was epic and nice.
“It is my second time and all the love that we share, the bond between the Oromo in Ethiopia and the Oromos in Kenya is unimaginable.”
It is an event that brings all together to enable us share ideas in order to create integration in terms of politics and economy, he noted.
Husein Yessuf on his part said “I think when I go back; I have so many things to tell to my people in Kenya.”
Source: Ethiopian News Agency