The Kenya Army Band is the primary military musical unit in the Kenya Army and by extension Kenya Defence Forces. 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 when the

Kenya Navy Band 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. In December 1986, a group of 15 PUTs (Privates Under Training) from the Naval Training School in Mombasa ...

was formed. 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.

History

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 East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

formed in 1930. 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- Nyasaland 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 taking over the leadership of the Band, Major Samson Kisina Nthiwason. On 11 August 2018, the band was upgraded to a full unit and handed a Unit Flag at their base in Langata. On 29 July 2022, the official band headquarters was opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Operations

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. It is currently based in

Lang'ata 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, Mada ...

Army Barracks having moved from their original station in Nanyuki. Nairobi. The barracks is also home to DEFSOM and the

Maroon Commandos Maroon Commandos is a musical group from Kenya. It is a military band belonging to 7 Kenya Rifles (Kenya Army Infantry) of the Kenya Army. They are based at the Langata Barracks in Langata, Nairobi. The group performs benga, rumba and other style ...

. It is currently organized into two bands, Kenya Army Band A and B respectively.

Uniform

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. The SCOTS DG bearskin was originally a gift to the Scots from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia while he was Colonel of the Regiment.

Events

The band performs at a range of events including: *

Public holidays A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...

Madaraka Day Madaraka Day ("Internal self rule" or ''Self-Governance'' Day) is a national holiday that is celebrated every 1 June in every year in the Kenya, Republic of Kenya. It commemorates the day in 1963 that Kenya attained internal self rule after being ...

Mashujaa Day Heroes' Day or National Heroes' Day may refer to a number of commemorations of national heroes in different countries and territories. It is often held on the birthday of a national hero or heroine, or the anniversary of their great deeds that m ...

(formerly Kenyatta Day) Jamhuri day ** Jamhuri Day *Commemorations ** Remembrance Day Services * Beating Retreats and Sunset Ceremonies * Military Tattoos * Military Parades In 1980, the band took part in the centenary of the Royal Tournament.

Jamhuri Day

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''.

State opening of parliament and state visits

The two main events the band participates in where a

guard of honour A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...

from the

Kenya Army Infantry 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 again ...

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 Martial music or military music is a specific genre of music intended for use in military settings performed by professional soldiers called field musicians. Much of the military music has been composed to announce military events as with b ...

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 The president of the Republic of Kenya () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Kenya. The President is also the head of the executive branch of the Government of Kenya and is the commander-in-chief of the Kenya Defe ...

, 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. *Colonel Martin Makadia, the Senior Director of Music and a graduate of the

Royal Military School of Music The Royal Military School of Music (RMSM) trains musicians for the British Army's fourteen regular bands, as part of the Royal Corps of Army Music. Until August 2021, the school was based at Kneller Hall in Twickenham, however it moved to HMS ...

Kneller Hall Kneller Hall is a Grade II listed mansion in Whitton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It housed the Royal Military School of Music, training musicians for the British Army, which acquired the building in the mid-19th century. I ...

. *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. He died in November 2019 in Nairobi. *WOI Ken Makokha a former popular Radio Presenter and an instructor at the Defense forces school of music based in Langata Nairobi.http://www.mod.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Majeshi-Yetu-Volume10.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiJwd-dmOnnAhXVsJ4KHfiIDus4ChAWMAR6BAgEEAI&usg=AOvVaw3NYxAPVqHr4ryPIZF1R3qy

Sources

{{Reflist Kenyan military bands 1963 establishments in Kenya Military units and formations established in 1963 Musical groups established in 1963