The flag of Kenya
The white fimbriations were not in the original KANU party flag it derives from; they were added in 1963 at independence specifically to represent peace, and they also solve the heraldic problem of black meeting red. The shield is a traditional Maasai design rather than a generic device, drawn from a real pattern. Kenya's reading of black, red and green descends from Marcus Garvey's Pan-African flag of 1920, which is the ancestor of that colour set across the continent and the diaspora. The flag is unusual in placing a weapon-bearing device centrally without any wreath or shield frame.
What the colours mean
- Black
#000000The people of Kenya - Red
#BB0000The blood shed in the struggle for independence - Green
#006600The land and its natural wealth - White
#FFFFFFPeace and unity, in the dividing stripes
Flag laws usually specify a Pantone chip, a CMYK mix or just a colour name. Converting any of those to sRGB is lossy, which is why published hex values disagree.
The symbols on it
| What | What it stands for |
|---|---|
| Maasai shield and spears | The defence of everything the other colours stand for |
- Ratio
- 2:3
- Current design adopted
- 1963
- Colours
- black, red, green, white
Common questions
- What does the flag of Kenya look like?
- Three horizontal bands of black, red and green separated by thin white stripes, with a red, black and white Maasai shield and two crossed spears at the centre.
- What do the colours of the Kenya flag mean?
- Black: the people of Kenya. Red: the blood shed in the struggle for independence. Green: the land and its natural wealth. White: peace and unity, in the dividing stripes.
- When was the Kenya flag adopted?
- The current design dates from 1963, and its official ratio is 2:3.
Related pages
- Kenya Capital, area, population and currency
- Every flag with black in it
- The flag of Germany Ratio 3:5
- The flag of South Korea Ratio 2:3
- The flag of South Africa Ratio 2:3
- The flag of Jamaica Ratio 1:2
- The flag of Egypt Ratio 2:3
- The flag of Palestine Ratio 1:2
- The flag of Belgium Ratio 13:15
- The flag of United Arab Emirates Ratio 1:2
Sources
- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (Public domain (US Government))