There is a lot to remember about the 2018 Jamhuri Day celebrations held at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.The Trooping of the Colour was led by the 17th Battalion Kenya Rifles and the colours are venerated by officers and soldiers of all ranks, second to the sovereign.
The tradition practised by British and Commonwealth armies dates back to the 17th century.Regiment's colours, or flags, were historically used as rallying points on battlefields with military ensigns slowly marching the colours between the soldiers' ranks.A military unit colours embody its spirit and service, as well as its fallen soldiers.
On a battlefield, the greatest shame, or the greatest glory is considered to be the capture of an enemy colour.Every battalion "troops" or marches its colours through the ranks so that everyone can see that the colours are intact before and after every battle although the practice is today largely ceremonial.
The Red Tunic donned by the former President Uhuru was also worn by former Presidents Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Moi although Mwai Kibaki is not known to have worn military uniform.
In 1971, Uhuru's father donned the traditional red tunic military uniform. The first time Moi appeared in military uniform was on Jamhuri Day in 1980. At ceremonial occasions like weddings, funerals, and state functions, soldiers don the red tunic uniform.
Manoa Esipisu, Kenyatta's former spokesperson at the time, confirmed to The Standard that the choice was made deliberately to uphold the former president's core principles.
The best illustration of the mosaic that is the Kenyan nation is found in our armed forces. There are people from all different backgrounds in our armed forces. There, ethnicity and other sectarian agendas are foreign. The President would like to be associated with our military because it plays such an exemplary role, according to Esipisu.Unlike other presidents, William has not yet been seen wearing military garb.
However, while serving as vice president, he would often wear a uniform akin to that of a security guard when hosting dancers from the esteemed FBI dance troupe.Not only Mwai Kibaki, the third president, led the military for ten years prior to stepping down without experiencing military fatigue, but Ruto is not the only one who has gone through this.
Here are few photos of them
Uhuru
Moi
Jomo kenyatta
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https://nation.africa/kenya/life-and-style/dn2/the-president-and-his-uniform-1050764