ATHEISTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO PETITION FOR REMOVAL OF ‘GOD’ FROM NATIONAL ANTHEM CONSTITUTIONALLY

“Oh, God of all creation”, this is a line that is creating a storm in Kenya right now. A line that was included in a composition in 1963 when Kenya was just about to attain its independence from the British. This line refers to God as the creator of everything and was composed before Kenyans thought that there would ever be an atheist movement in their motherland.

Fast forward to 2016, and we have a society that believes in the absence of the existence of deities. This society is known as Atheists in Kenya (AIK) and they advocate for a separation of religion and state in Kenya. The society holds the view that the Kenyan Constitution promotes secularism and fundamental freedoms under the Bill of Rights, including freedom of conscience. That is why a petition was filed on 16^th of October, 2016 by its president, Harrison Mumia, to remove the word ‘God’ from the national anthem.