The death of Namibia’s first President, Sam Nujoma, rekindles memories of the country’s long and hard-fought struggle for independence.
Nujoma, who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as president for 15 years, spent nearly 30 years in exile.
Namibia’s path to self-rule was uniquely supported by Kenya through various contributions.
In 1964, Kenya demonstrated solidarity with the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), the movement that led Namibia’s fight against apartheid rule, by donating a Land Rover to facilitate its operations. This marked the beginning of Kenya’s diplomatic and logistical support for Namibia’s struggle for self-rule.
As Namibia transitioned to independence, Kenya actively contributed to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG), which oversaw the process.
A Kenyan military battalion was deployed to Namibia to ensure a peaceful transition and remained in the country even after independence in 1990 to assist in stabilising the nation and training its defense forces.
Since then, Kenya and Namibia have continued to strengthen their bilateral relations. The two nations have engaged in high-level diplomatic visits, with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Namibian counterpart, Hage Geingob, holding discussions on trade, governance, and cooperation in key sectors.
In September last year, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi, led a delegation to Windhoek, Namibia for talks on enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Kenya has also maintained engagements with Namibia through parliamentary diplomacy, with Speaker Moses Wetang’ula advocating for the formation of the Kenya-Namibia Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) to enhance diplomatic ties.
President William Ruto mourned Nujoma’s death, describing him as a selfless, courageous, and visionary leader who dedicated his life to the liberation and development of Namibia.
He passed away on Saturday, February 8, 2025, while receiving treatment at a hospital in Windhoek.
Prudence Wanza
