As the 58th Jamhuri Day celebrations are underway at the Uhuru Gardens, the government through the 19 Batallion, Kenya Rifles have released the event's programme that stipulates etiquette guidelines that guests should follow during the ceremony.
These celebrations are very significant for the army, especially for every unit in the Kenyan military and is hence recorded in the unit's history.
According to the programme, while paying compliments, gentlemen are required to remove headgear and those in uniform to salute when the National Anthem is played and the colour passes in front of them.
The President’s Colour is one of the highest honours that can be awarded to any military unit and training establishments such as the Kenya Defence Forces in the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy and the Kenya Air Force branches.
It is bestowed upon in recognition of exceptional service of at least 25 years rendered by a military unit to the nation, both during war and peace.
The 19 Batallion, Kenya Rifles is the 6th unit of the Kenyan Army Infantry and was formed on January 28 2011, after they returned from peacekeeping duties in United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and is located at the Nyali Barracks in Mombasa County.
The units of the Kenyan Army Infantry are the principal combating arms of the Kenya Army and their primary mission is to win land battles within the 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.
All Kenyan Infantry units and bases are presented with both Presidential and Regimental colours. The Presidential colours are trooped when the Unit Base performs a National Ceremony in which the Commander-in-Chief or Head of State of a foreign country is honoured with a Military Parade also known as Guard of Honour (GOH).
In line with this, the programme stipulates that the guests of the ceremony should stand during:
Arrival of the President
This is to show respect for the Office of the President and what it represents by acknowledging the dignity and legally sanctioned leadership status of His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta.
Trooping of the colour
Guests are required to stand when the escort to the colour presents arms and the National Anthem is played. Trooping of the colour is the displaying of a unit's regimental colour together with the Presidential colour in a ceremony where general officers are accorded guard parades during visits.
The Match-Past
It is mandatory that every time the Presidential colour actually passes the guests that they stand since both Presidential and Regimental colours stand for the honour accorded to the Unit. They are handled with the utmost respect and are saluted as a sign of respect whenever one gets into close proximity to them.
The Advance in Review Order
Guests are required to stand from the beginning of the National Anthem until three cheers have been given for the President to signal the end of the presentation of colours ceremony, by which the regiment offers a final salute usually by the presentation of arms.
The final occasion when they are required to stand is during the Departure of the President until he leaves the arena on his way to State House.
