Flag of Kenya
Encyclopedia
The flag
of Kenya
(Swahili
: Bendera ya Kenya) was officially adopted on December 12, 1963.
. The colours symbolize black majority, red for the blood shed during the struggle for freedom, and green for Land; the white fimbriation
was added later and symbolizes peace. The black, red, and white traditional Maasai shield
and two spear
s symbolize the defense of all the things mentioned above.
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(KANU), the political party that led the fight for freedom and independence of Kenya. Upon independence, the white fimbriation, symbolizing peace and unity, and the shield were added. The meaning of the colours of the flag of Kenya match closely to those of the Pan-African flag adopted by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League
in 1920.
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
(Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
: Bendera ya Kenya) was officially adopted on December 12, 1963.
Symbolism
The Kenyan flag is based on that of Kenya African National UnionKenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
. The colours symbolize black majority, red for the blood shed during the struggle for freedom, and green for Land; the white fimbriation
Fimbriation
In heraldry and vexillology, fimbriation refers to small stripes of colour placed around common charges or ordinaries, usually in order for them to stand out from the background, but perhaps just because the designer felt it looked better, or for a more technical reason to avoid what would...
was added later and symbolizes peace. The black, red, and white traditional Maasai shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
and two spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s symbolize the defense of all the things mentioned above.
Design
The colours of the flag have been specified by the Kenya National Archives.| Scheme | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|
| British Standard Colours | Post office red 0-006 | 0-010 |
- Source: Kenyan Flag at Get Kenya Online. Accessed 6 August 2006.
- Source: Flag Specifications at Kenya National Archives. Accessed 16 Feb 2006.
History
The Kenyan flag is based on the black over red over green flag of Kenya African National UnionKenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
(KANU), the political party that led the fight for freedom and independence of Kenya. Upon independence, the white fimbriation, symbolizing peace and unity, and the shield were added. The meaning of the colours of the flag of Kenya match closely to those of the Pan-African flag adopted by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League
Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League
The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League is a black nationalist fraternal organization founded by Marcus Garvey. The organization enjoyed its greatest strength in the 1990s, prior to Garvey's deportation from the United States of America, after which its...
in 1920.