The National Monument Commemorating Kenya's Independence and Unity.
Rising 24 metres above the ground on which independence was declared, the Independence Commemorative Monument is the centrepiece of Uhuru Gardens. Erected in 1973, its column is crowned with a pair of clasped hands and a dove of peace — twin symbols of the unity and hope that defined Kenya's first decade of self-rule.
On one side of the column stands a statue of soldiers raising the Kenyan flag, immortalising the midnight moment on 12 December 1963 when the Union Jack was lowered and the new nation's colours were lifted for the first time. The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was among the dignitaries present that night.
The monument remains the formal site of national ceremonial life — the axis around which Jamhuri Day and Madaraka Day commemorations are held each year, and the place where visiting heads of state come to pay their respects to the Kenyan nation.
