The green beret, the brown uniform, and the logo sewn on the right breast pocket should be enough to identify a Kenyan scout. And if you’re familiar with scout ranks, the colour of the scarf will tell you all you need to know. But in case you don’t, there’s four kinds of scarves: yellow for a Sungura (cub scout), green for a Chipukizi (junior scout), maroon for a Mwamba (senior scout), and orange for a Jasiri (rover scout). With over 2.1 million scouts and 40,000 scout leaders, the Kenya Scouts Association is the largest scout movement in Africa and the sixth largest in the world. With this incredible accomplishment and 111 years of service to their name, it might be difficult to imagine that the association’s journey is rooted in humble beginnings… 

The East Africa Protectorate’s first scouting troop was formed on 24th November 1910, at St. John’s Church in Pumwani. This was just two years after the global scouting movement was founded by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Much as this is a date to remember, the troop was not inclusive of Africans – being made up of Europeans and Asians – and therefore not representative of the majority demographic. This changed in 1927, when the first African troop was formed at Alliance High School and termed “The First Kikuyu Troop”.  

 

International Stamp of Approval 

1964 was yet another memorable year as Kenya became a member of the World Scout Conference. The conference brought scouts from all over the world under one roof and gave them a chance to connect and exchange ideas. Then, in 1973, the 24th World Scout Conference was held in Nairobi from 16th – 25th July. By this time, the scouting movement was estimated to have 32,000 members from East Africa. This was an event worth commemorating, and as was the fashion of the time, special issue postage stamps were released to mark the event.  

Four stamps were issued across East Africa and ranged in price from 40 cents to 2 shillings and 50 cents. They all held the World Scouts emblem, with one of the stamps featuring this as the only motif. The highest value stamp featured Baden-Powell’s portrait, and another featured his gravestone which is located at his final resting place in Nyeri. The final stamp portrayed two scouts laying bricks, with the words “learning by serving” beneath the motif.  

 

Were you a scout back in primary school? Or did you come across any of these stamps?  

#KeStamps