Trooping of the colour: What the special ceremony staged by KDF on Jamhuri Day means

The ceremony now means the battalion known for its tagline ‘precision fire’ will have its own headquarters.


The battalion began by laying the presidential colour; the flag that bears the semblance of the national flag and the regimental flag burgundy in colour on these drums.

A short consecration of the colour followed where men of the cloth blessed the regiment.



Then followed the presentation where the commander in Chief of the Defence Forces President William Ruto handed the presidential colour that bears semblance to the national flag, then the grey regimental colour to the two chosen colour officers.



The flags were then marched to the beat of the national anthem back to the tri-service parade made of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy it is the only time officers march when the anthem is playing.

In a slow beat, the two flags were then marched inside the parade where all soldiers on mount did an arm salute when it passed in front of them.

Trooping of the colour is the only ceremony where the national anthem is played more than once, Tuesday it was played thrice.



With the colour officers in the lead, the flags were then marched past the presidential dais first slowly then quickly. The colour is granted so much respect that each time it passes the president salutes it.

The regimental flag is the lifeline of the battalion, it is stored under lock and key and under 24-hour armed guard.

If a battalion loses the flag, then it stands to be disbanded.


The 25th Mechanised Infantry Batalion will retain its base at Baragoi area of Samburu County. Even before being granted the colour and the recognition, the battalion had taken part in several defence missions both locally and internationally.