Some Kenyan grants of arms

Heraldry in Africa
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Arthur Radburn
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Some Kenyan grants of arms

Postby Arthur Radburn » 30 Mar 2016, 13:00

Like Zimbabwe ( viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1054&p=8860#p8860 ), Kenya is also one of the few African countries with an official heraldic register. The Kenya College of Arms, established in 1968, grants arms, and the Registrar-General ( http://www.attorney-general.go.ke/index.php/registrar/ ) keeps the register.

The government appears to take heraldry seriously. After a local government reorganisation a few years ago, the attorney-general (who is ex officio head of the College) told the new local authorities that they were required to register arms. It was necessary, he said, because arms serve as "a sense of recognition, pride, belonging and an encouragement of a lifestyle based on honour and recognition of the responsibility and service to others."

Here, for example, are the arms of the Moyale county council. The format of the document appears to be based on the South African certificate :

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Some other examples of Kenyan grants of arms :

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Diocese of Mount Kenya South (Anglican) (granted 2008)

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Institute of Chartered Public Secretaries (granted 2008)

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Institution of Surveyors of Kenya

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Kianda School
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Arthur Radburn

Marcus Karlsson
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Location: Sweden

Re: Some Kenyan grants of arms

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 10 Apr 2016, 12:51

Thanks for charing those Arthur. Some quite good like the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya. The Kianda School has a fairly good Arms to but should loose the red lines which perhaps is only an artists' whim.

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Arthur Radburn
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Re: Some Kenyan grants of arms

Postby Arthur Radburn » 10 Apr 2016, 14:12

You're welcome, Markus.

The red outlines on the Kianda School arms appear to be part of the design. The blazon on the certificate reads :
Or a valley with two hills in background Azure, on a chief per pale Argent and Azure a branch enflamed at three points and a palm tree more plainly depicted all bordered Gules. They seem to think that "more plainly depicted" means "proper".
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Arthur Radburn

Marcus Karlsson
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Joined: 13 Jul 2012, 08:52
Location: Sweden

Re: Some Kenyan grants of arms

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 11 Apr 2016, 19:15

So the red lines are part of the blazon, too bad the design would to my taste be much better without them.

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Michael F. McCartney
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Re: Some Kenyan grants of arms

Postby Michael F. McCartney » 14 Apr 2016, 01:27

"...more plainly depicted..." might be Kenyan shorthand for the English College of Arms phrase "as is more plainly depicted in the margin" - which is English shorthand for "we can't figure out how else to blazon this" ;)
Michael F. McCartney
Fremont, California


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