Flag of Kenya

Country

Flag of Kenya uses horizontal tricolour with white fimbriations and a Maasai shield with spears. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption December 12, 1963.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Kenya
Entity Type	Country
Official Name	Republic of Kenya
Identifier	KE / KEN
Region	Eastern Africa

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	December 12, 1963
First Documented Use	1963
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Black, Red, Green, White
Construction	Horizontal tricolour with white fimbriations and a Maasai shield with spears

Documented Colour Values

Colour	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Black	#000000	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0, 100
Red	#BB0000	187, 0, 0	0, 100, 100, 27
Green	#006600	0, 102, 0	100, 0, 100, 60
White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0

Design and Symbolism

Black	the people of Kenya.
Red	the blood shed for independence.
Green	the landscape and natural wealth.
White	peace and honesty.
Maasai shield and two crossed spears	The defence of everything the other colours stand for.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Kenya

Horizontal tricolour with white fimbriations and a Maasai shield with spears The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with horizontal tricolour with a central emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Kenya is Black (#000000), Red (#BB0000), Green (#006600) and White (#FFFFFF). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Maasai shield and two crossed spears: The defence of everything the other colours stand for.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1963. The adoption field for the present record is December 12, 1963.

Additional flag context

The Maasai shield and crossed spears sit over the bands rather than inside a canton, which makes the flag unusually assertive in composition.

The white fimbriation between the black, red and green bands was added to the original design of the KANU party flag when it became the national flag in 1963.

Kenyan law restricts commercial use of the flag and the coat of arms without authorisation.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Horizontal tricolour with white fimbriations and a Maasai shield with spears, a 2:3 proportion and the visible maasai shield and two crossed spears. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Kenya — Specialist vexillological reference

Other horizontal tricolour with a central emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Kenya

Kenya is recorded as horizontal tricolour with white fimbriations and a Maasai shield with spears.
The reference proportion for the flag of Kenya is 2:3.
The stored palette for Kenya contains Black, Red, Green and White.
The adoption field for this country flag record is December 12, 1963.
The design record traces first use to 1963.
Its construction is grouped with the horizontal tricolour with a central emblem design family in this library.
Maasai shield and two crossed spears: The defence of everything the other colours stand for.
The Maasai shield and crossed spears sit over the bands rather than inside a canton, which makes the flag unusually assertive in composition.
The white fimbriation between the black, red and green bands was added to the original design of the KANU party flag when it became the national flag in 1963.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Kenya

What does the flag of Kenya look like?

Horizontal tricolour with white fimbriations and a Maasai shield with spears, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Kenya?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Kenya?

The reference palette lists Black #000000, Red #BB0000, Green #006600 and White #FFFFFF.

What do the symbols on the flag of Kenya represent?

Maasai shield and two crossed spears — The defence of everything the other colours stand for.

When was the present flag record for Kenya adopted?

The adoption field in this record is December 12, 1963.

Which design family does the flag of Kenya belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with horizontal tricolour with a central emblem designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Kenya?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.