The Kenya Army Band is the primary military musical unit in the Kenya Army and by extension Kenya Defence Forces. The band was founded shortly after Kenya gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 as the successor the Band of King's African Rifles of East Africa formed in 1930 when the British colonized Africa.the first indigenous bandmaster was Yahya Mohamed after being promoted to the rank of WOI he was appointed to head the band of the then Nyasa land its after independence that the band changed its name to Kenya Band, and later to Kenya Army Band. 1968 saw the first African commissioned officer Maj Samson Kisina Nthiwason taking over the leadership of the Band, followed by Lt Col Nicodemus Wasomi when the former retired, and as years went by Col Simon Tipatet became the director followed by Col Martin Macadia. the band was later to grow into two Bands, Kenya army Band A and B respectively. The current Directors of Music are Capt Kelvin Nyaga, Capt J M Muturi, Lt Wycliffe Otanga and Lt Charlene Wamuyu. from independence it was the only band in the Kenya Defence Forces until 1985 when the Kenya Air force band was Formed and later in 1999 the Kenya Navy band. The early bandmasters include WOI Daniel Mutuku and WOI Lucas Kuni. On 11 August 2018 the band was upgraded to a full Unit and handed a Unit Flag at their base in Langata.[1][2] It is ever present at all national celebrations including Madaraka day, Heroes' Day (mashujaa day) (Kenya) and Jamhuri Day, All members of the band are aged between 18–26 at the time of enlistment with the band. upon enlistment the new members are sent to the Defence forces school of music (formerly Kenya Army School of Music )for a 44 weeks basic course, and it takes at least 5 years before a musician is considered a principal performer with the band, currently based in Lang'ata Army Barracks having moved from their original station in Nanyuki. Nairobi. The barracks is also home to another of the band's institutions, the Kenya Defence forces School of Music DEFSOM.[3]
All members of the band also play their primary role as Infantry Branch, with many having been deployed on various peace keeping missions, Somalia and South Sudan[4] The band wears a distinctive white and black monkey bearskin, which has a pattern based on the one that is used by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards of the British Army.[5] The SCOTS DG bearskin was originally a gift to the Scots from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia while he was Colonel of the Regiment.[6]
The Trooping of the Colour of the Kenya Defence Forces takes place every Jamhuri Day. During the ceremony, the band plays a slow march followed by a quick march with the lone drummer then breaking away to take his position beside number one guard to play the drummers call, signalling the officers of No.1 Guard to take positions to receive the colour. As part of the massed KDF band, the army band performs the chosen Kenyan tunes for the parade. After the first verse of the Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu is played, the band performs the tune of the British grenadier guards during the trooping followed by the first tune of the parade that is always By land and sea.[9]
State opening of parliament and state visits
The two main events the band participates in where a guard of honour from the Kenya Army Infantry is mounted include state visits and the State Opening of Parliament. For the former, the band performs the national anthems of both the visiting country and Kenya. The band then plays a slow march during the inspection of the guard and martial music for a pass-out parade for the guest of honour. During the opening of parliament, the band performs the general salute for the President of Kenya, who then undergoes a similar procedure to visiting dignitaries during state visits, with the band performing the same protocol music (save for the martial music).
Notable members
Colonel Simon Tipatet, a longtime director of the band.[10]
Lieutenant Colonel Nicodemus Wasomi was the former director of the band. He was a recipient of the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear.[12] He died in November 2019 in Nairobi.[13]
WOI Ken Makokha a former popular Radio Presenter and an instructor at the Defense forces school of music based in Langata Nairobi[14]
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest surviving Cavalry Regiment of the Line in the British Army. The regiment is based at Waterloo Lines, Leuchars Station, as part of 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland, a light adaptable force brigade.
Trooping the Colour is a ceremonial event performed every year on Horse Guards Parade in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of Household Division, to celebrate the official birthday of the British sovereign. It is also known as the Sovereign's Birthday Parade. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. In the UK, it is, with the State Opening of Parliament, one of the biggest events of the ceremonial calendar, and watched by millions on TV and on the streets of London.
The Welsh Guards, part of the Guards Division, is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915 as a single-battalion regiment, during the First World War, by Royal Warrant of George V. Shortly after the regiment's formation, it was deployed to France where it took part in the fighting on the Western Front until the end of the war in November 1918. During the inter-war years, the regiment undertook garrison duties in the United Kingdom, except between 1929 and 1930 when it deployed to Egypt, and late 1939 when it deployed to Gibraltar.
The Scots Guards are a regiment of the British Army. The regiment cherishes its traditions, especially on the parade ground where the scarlet uniform and bearskin have become synonymous with the regiment and the other Guards regiments. The regiment takes part in numerous events, most notably the Beating Retreat, Changing of the Guard, Queen's Birthday Parade, Remembrance Sunday and State Visits. The Guards' regiments ceremonial uniforms differ from each other only slightly, the differentiations being in the tunic and the type of plume on the bearskin, if any, they have. The Scots Guards uniform consists of tunic buttons in threes, the Order of the Thistle on the shoulder badge, the Thistle on the collar badge and no plume on the bearskin.
A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers, and remains in use by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies.
The Canadian Guards was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October 1953, by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, the Chief of the General Staff of the Canadian Army, with the redesignation of four separate battalions:
Jamhuri Day is a national holiday in Kenya, celebrated on 12 December each year. Jamhuri is the Swahili word for "republic" and the holiday is meant to officially mark the date when Kenya became a republic on 12 December 1964, one year and six months after gaining internal self-rule on 1 June 1963 from the United Kingdom.
Lang'ata is a predominantly middle-class residential suburb of Nairobi in Kenya. The suburb consists of many smaller housing developments, referred to as estates. They include Nairobi Dam, Otiende, Southlands, Ngei, Jambo estate, Onyonka, Madaraka Estate, Kutch Prant, Rubia, NHC Langata, Akiba, Sun Valley, Royal Park and many others. These developments are primarily maisonettes or apartment blocks.
The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the English Establishment in 1686.
East Africa Command was a Command of the British Army. Until 1947 it was under the direct control of the Army Council and thereafter it became the responsibility of Middle East Command. It was disbanded on 11 December 1963, the day before Kenya became independent, and replaced by British Land Forces Kenya, tasked with withdrawing all remaining British troops. All remaining troops left by December 1964 and British Land Forces Kenya was disestablished.
The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) is the highest-ranking military officer in the Kenya Defence Forces and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya and the National Security Council. The CDF outranks all respective heads of each service branch and has operational command authority over the service branches. He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Service Commander, comprising the CDF, the Commander of the Kenya Army and Kenya Air Force, Kenya Navy and the Commandant of Military Intelligence. The CDF has offices in Ulinzi House. Following the 2010 Constitution, the Chief of the General Staff was replaced with the Chief of the Defence Forces.
The Kenya Army is the land arm of the Kenya Defence Forces.
The units of the Kenya Army Infantry are the principal fighting arms of the Kenya Army. The primary mission of the Infantry formations is to fight and win land battles within area of operational responsibilities in the defence of the nation against land – based aggression, while the secondary mission is the provision of aid and support to civil authorities in the maintenance of order. The Kenyan School of Infantry (SOI) is located in Isiolo County.
The military ranks of Kenya are the military insignia used by the Kenya Defence Forces. Being a former colony of the United Kingdom, Kenya shares a rank structure similar to that of the United Kingdom, especially the British Army.
The Kenya Navy Band is the sole musical unit in the Kenya Navy and one of three state-sponsored military bands in the Kenya Defence Forces.
The Irish Defence Forces School of Music is established as a Corps of the Irish Defence Forces and has responsibility for the maintenance and training of the three military bands of the Defence Forces. It contains a directorate and a headquarters and three detached military bands. The 97 members of the three bands currently perform at approximately 500 state, military and civilian events annually.
Lieutenant General Walter Koipaton Raria, is a Kenyan military officer. Between July 2018 and July 2022, he served as the Commander Kenya Army, a service branch of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
The Kenya Air Force Band is the sole musical unit in the Kenya Navy and one of three state-sponsored military bands in the Kenya Defence Forces.
The military bands of the United Kingdom are musical units that serve for protocol and ceremonial duties as part of the British Armed Forces. They have been the basis and inspiration for many military bands in the former British Empire and the larger Commonwealth of Nations as well as musical organizations in other countries. Military musical units with British influence include United States military bands, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Music Corps and the Military Band of Athens. British military bands are controlled by the military music departments of the three services that compose the armed forces. These include the Royal Marines Band Service, the Royal Corps of Army Music, and the Royal Air Force Music Services. British style brass bands and carnival bands were then and are currently inspired by the British Armed Forces and its brass bands, especially of the Army's regular and reserve formations, as they follow a similar format as it relates to brass and percussion instruments.
Lieutenant General Peter Mbogo Njiru, is a Kenyan military officer, who serves as the Commander, Kenya Army, since July 2022. The Kenya Army is a service branch of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). Before his present assignment, General Njiru was the commander of the Kenya Joint Command and Staff College, at the rank of Major General.
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