Subheading: Community to Gather at Fantalle District for Traditional Thanksgiving Festival

The Oromo community will gather at Nogoba Lake in the Fantalle District this coming Great Saturday to celebrate the annual Irreecha festival.

The event, led by the Michillee clan and embracing the wider Oromo people, serves as a powerful testament to Oromo unity, culture, and tradition.

Irreecha is a profound cultural gathering where the Oromo people reflect on their shared heritage and express the beauty of Oromummaa—their unique cultural identity and worldview. The festival is a vibrant celebration of thanksgiving, community, and resilience.

NAIROBI – This weekend, the heart of Uhuru Park will resonate with the beat of drums, the rise of ancestral songs, and the vibrant colors of Oromo culture as hundreds gather to celebrate the Irreechaa Festival 2025. This profound day of thanksgiving, identity, and unity will transform the capital into a hub of cultural and spiritual significance.

For the Oromo and Borana communities—Eastern Africa’s largest ethnic group—Irreechaa is far more than a festival; it is a spiritual homecoming. It is a sacred time to give thanks to Waaq (God) for life, rain, peace, and the blessings that bind the community together. From elders in traditional white robes to the youth waving cultural flags, the event is a powerful symbol of memory, resilience, and hope.

Organized this year by the Kenya Oromo Professional Association, the celebration will be held on Saturday, October 25th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Uhuru Park, Nairobi. The event is held under the unifying theme, “Celebrating the Beauty of Oromo Culture and Building Bridges Across Borders.”

Event organizers confirm that preparations are in high gear, emphasizing that Irreechaa embodies unity and renewal. “This festival is not just for the Oromo people—it’s an invitation to everyone who believes in peace, gratitude, and togetherness,” a spokesperson stated.

Featuring traditional music, ceremonial horse parades, heartfelt prayers, and communal dances, Irreechaa 2025 promises to be a moving display of cultural pride. It serves as a poignant reminder of culture’s power to connect generations and build bridges between communities.

As the sun rises over Uhuru Park on Saturday, Nairobi will bear witness to a living expression of harmony and tranquility—a celebration that transcends borders and speaks the universal language of gratitude.

Mr. Dabbassa Guyyo is remembered in Oromo history as one of the most revered Oromo philosophers, cultural educators, and preservers of indigenous knowledge. His lifelong commitment to promoting Oromo culture, peace, and spirituality made him a monumental figure within the Oromo nation and beyond.

Guardian of Oromo Civilization

Dabbassa Guyyo was born in Yabello, southern Oromia, and dedicated more than 30 years to teaching Oromo history, cosmology, and traditional knowledge systems in Kenya, Ethiopia, and worldwide. He became known as a “walking encyclopedia” of the **Gadaa system**—the democratic governance and ethical philosophy of the Oromo people. Through his leadership at **Argaa-Dhageettii Gadaa Oromoo**, a cultural institute he founded in Nairobi in 2000, he taught generations of Oromo youth and refugees about their heritage, spirituality, and values of social harmony.

Philosopher of Peace and Unity

Dabbassa developed a broad philosophy of **peaceful coexistence**, emphasizing reconciliation, human dignity, and respect for cultural diversity. He traveled internationally—across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas—to lecture about Oromo civilization and indigenous approaches to social harmony. His teachings revitalized cultural confidence and unity among dispersed Oromo communities.

His Disappearance and Symbolic Immortality

In September 2015, after blessing the Irreechaa ceremony in Nairobi, Mr. Guyyo mysteriously disappeared and was never found. His absence transformed him from a living elder into a *symbol of resilience and spiritual endurance*. Oromo communities across the world continue to commemorate him as a martyr for cultural truth and wisdom—a custodian of Oromo knowledge who gave his life to preserve it.

Why He Will Be Remembered Forever

People remember Dabbassa Guyyo eternally because he embodied:

– The *spiritual depth* of Oromo indigenous wisdom.

– The *moral courage* to teach culture under exile.

– The *humanistic philosophy* of unity and peace.

– The *sacrifice* that sealed his name in the moral memory of his people.

In the collective Oromo consciousness, Mr. Dabbassa Guyyo remains not only a teacher but also a **living spirit of Oromummaa**—the essence of Oromo identity that transcends generations.