ANDREW Juma became an Australian citizen, but the Kenyan-born Brunswick resident said he had felt at home in Melbourne for more than decade.
Mr Juma’s mother, who had travelled to Melbourne for work, encouraged him to move to Australia from Nairobi on January 1, 2003, to complete his tertiary education.
“At the time I knew nothing about Melbourne and she said “trust, me you will like it”, and she was right,” Mr Juma, 28, said.
He completed Foundation Studies then a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in media and communications at the University of Melbourne’s Trinity College, followed by a Masters of Communications in Advertising at RMIT.
“I have felt Australian since I have been here,” Mr Juma said.
“When I go to Kenya I feel like I am visiting another country, not my home.
“I really like Australia, I like what it stands for.”
Now a senior advertising and print services officer at the Uniting Church of Australia, Mr Juma celebrated his citizenship with 91 other new Australians, who hailed from 28 different countries, at Moreland’s Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony at Coburg Town Hall. For the past eight years he has lived in Brunswick, which he says “ticked all of the boxes” for proximity to the city, cafe culture and a good community feeling.
Mr Juma, whose family still lives in Africa, said he decided to become an Australian because of a new constitution provision in Kenya, which allowed for dual citizenship.
Moreland Mayor Lambros Tapinos said he was honoured to be part of such a memorable day.-heraldsun.com.au