Flag of Kenya

The flag of Kenya (Swahili: Bendera ya Kenya) is a tricolour of black, red, and green with two white edges imposed with a red, white and black Maasai shield and two crossed spears. The flag is based on that of Kenya African National Union and was officially adopted on 12 December 1963 after Kenya's independence.[1]

Republic of Kenya
UseNational flag, civil and state ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Flag can be hung vertically by hoisting on a normal pole, then turning the pole 90°
Proportion2:3
Adopted12 December 1963 (1963-12-12)
DesignA horizontal tricolour of black, white-edged red, and green with two crossed white spears behind a red, white, and black Maasai shield
Kenyan flag at Lodwar Airport
Kenyan flags at the Kenyatta Mausoleum

Grammar

The Kenyan flag is red over black over the green flag of Kenya African National Union (KANU), the political party that led the fight for the independence of Kenya. Upon independence, the white fimbriation, symbolised peace and unity, and the shield were added. The meaning of the colours of the flag of Kenya matches closely to those of the Pan-African flag adopted by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League in 1920.[2]

The 2010 revised edition of the Constitution of Kenya includes specifications of the Kenyan flag, located in the Second Schedule, Article 9, paragraph 6.2.[3]

Symbolism

The Kenyan flag includes symbols of unity, peace, and defence of the country. The color black represents the people of the Republic of Kenya, red for the bloodshed during the fight for independence, and green for the country's landscape and natural wealth. The white fimbriation was added later to symbolise peace, honesty, purity, and innocence. The black, red, and white traditional Maasai shield and two spears symbolise the defence of all the things mentioned above. Many of both colours and symbolic values are shared with the flag of South Sudan.

Design

The colours of the flag have been specified by the Kenya National Archives.[4]

Black Red Green
British Standard Colours — Post office red
0-006		 Paris/Viridian Green
0-10
Hex #000000 #99292D #31905F
RGB 0-0-0 153-41-45 49-144-95
Pantone Black C 484 C 7730 C

Variants

Historical presidential standards

Defense forces

Variants
  • Flag of Kenya with the coat of arms.
    Flag of Kenya with the coat of arms.

Historical flags

See also

References
  1. "Flag of Kenya". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  2. "The History of the Red, Black, and Yellow". Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  3. "Laws of Kenya". Archived from the original on 25 December 2019.
  4. "Kenya Flag and Kenya National Anthem - Symbols of Nationhood". Retrieved 3 September 2018.

Sources
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