Let’s forge a united front to defeat the threat of terrorism

When Kenya attained independence from Britain in 1963, President Jomo Kenyatta looked for a national symbol to bring the disparate groups of the new nation together. Then, Kenya comprised an eclectic collection of tribes, ethnicities and cultures, whose shared experience was colonialism.

Like many post-colonial countries, the early leaders of the Kenyan state struggled with the question of how to forge a united and positive national identity that surpassed tribal lines. As legend goes, the President was once travelling and witnessed a team of men working together in cohesion and harmony to build a railway line. He was inspired by this sight, and from there came our national motto, Harambee.