This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On August 8, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta presented Rita Marley, the widow of reggae legend Bob Marley, with the Order of Jamaica during Jamaica's 57th Independence Grand Gala at the Jamaican National Stadium in Kingston.
Rita Marley met Bob Marley in the mid-1960s while working with the music group Soulettes. They married in February 1966 and went on to build a life together.
Following Bob Marley's death, Rita converted his home into the Bob Marley Museum. She is also the founder and chairperson of the Robert Marley Foundation and Bob Marley Group of Companies, as well as the Rita Marley Foundation.
Rita has adopted 35 children in Ethiopia, a country she considers Bob Marley's spiritual resting place. She has received numerous awards, including the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government in 1996 and the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Award in 2010.
During the award ceremony, President Uhuru Kenyatta was joined by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. In his remarks, President Kenyatta expressed his honour at representing the African continent at the launch of Jamaica's 57th independence anniversary celebrations.
