Flag of Kenya
Use | National flag, civil and state ensign |
---|---|
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | 12 December 1963 |
Design | A horizontal tricolour of black, white-edged red, and green with two crossed white spears behind a red, white, and black Maasai shield |
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]
History[]
The Kenyan flag is on the black over red 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, symbolizing peace and unity, and the shield were added. The meaning of the colors 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.[2]
The 2010 revised edition of the Constitution of Kenya includes specifications of the Kenyan flag. Second schedule, Article 9.paragraph 6.2[3]
Symbolism[]
The Kenyan flag includes symbols of unity, peace, and defense 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 symbolize peace, honesty, purity, and innocence. The black, red, and white traditional Maasai shield and two spears symbolize the defense of all the things mentioned above. Many of both colors 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 | |
---|---|---|---|
— | 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[]
First Presidential Standard of Kenya (1963–1970)
Presidential Standard of Jomo Kenyatta
Presidential Standard of Daniel Arap Moi
Presidential Standard of Mwai Kibaki
Presidential Standard of Uhuru Kenyatta, Incumbent President of Kenya
Defence Forces[]
Flag of Kenya Defence Forces
Flag of Kenya Navy
Presidential Standard of the Navy
Flag of Kenya Air Force
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Flag of Kenya". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Laws of Kenya". Archived from the original on 2019-12-25.
- ^ "Kenya Flag and Kenya National Anthem - Symbols of Nationhood". Retrieved 2018-09-03.
Sources[]
- Kenyan Flag at Get Kenya Online. Accessed 6 August 2006.
- Flag Specifications at Kenya National Archives. Accessed 16 Feb 2006.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of Kenya. |
- National symbols of Kenya
- Flags of Africa
- Flags introduced in 1963
- National flags