The National Anthem of Kenya

In 1963 a nation was being birthed – a free Kenya. Our identity needed to be sealed with an anthem that represented our people and outlined the attributes of the new nation.

A national anthem committee was set up for this task. The selected five consisted of music graduates, a music lecturer, an artistic director and a theologian. Washington Omondi, George Senoga-Zake, Thomas Kalume, Peter Kibukosya and Graham Hyslop, set off to build an anthem that represented an outlook for the new nation. Top of mind was that it it should be national in its outlook, short for easy memory and unifying in its content and delivery.

When the five got to what is now Tana River county, they found a Pokomo music teacher, Mezza Galana, who introduced them to a Pokomo traditional tune. The harmony was nothing short of perfect. The tune was borrowed and with that the team worked at crafting the three verses we now know so well. The first was an introductory prayer, the second a call to nation-building and the final geared towards entrenching patriotism.

The national anthem was gazetted and adopted for use in 1963 and is a fitting reminder of just how far we have come, together.