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Harambee is a Kenyan tradition of community self-help events, e.g.fundraising or development activities. The word 'Harambee' means "all pull together" inSwahili, and is the officialmotto of Kenya, appearing on itscoat of arms.[1][2]
Harambee events may range from informal affairs lasting a few hours, in which invitations are spread by word of mouth, to formal, multi-day events advertised in newspapers. These events have long been important in parts ofEast Africa, as ways to build and maintain communities.
FollowingKenya's independence in 1963, the first Prime Minister, and later firstPresident of Kenya,Jomo Kenyatta adopted "Harambee" as a concept of pulling the country together to build a new nation. He encouraged communities to work together to raise funds for all sorts of local projects, pledging that the government would provide their startup costs. Under this system, wealthy individuals wishing to get into politics could donate large amounts of money to local harambee drives, thereby gaining legitimacy; however, such practices were never institutionalised during Kenyatta's presidency.
The etymology of the term is unclear, but has been cited as genuinelyBantu. It is thought to have been first used by Swahili porters when lifting heavy loads and was originally speltHalambee.[2] However, according to afolk etymology, the word is said to have originated from Indian labourers responsible for building theUganda Railway. According to this account, the labourers would invoke Hare, the divine energy of God, and Ambe, a Hindu goddess, during the construction.[1]
Kenyan Christians have criticised the use of the wordharambee as an official term due to its alleged Hindu origin. This objection has been dismissed as being offensive to the country's Hindu community,[3] and also on the basis that even if the supposed derivation fromhare Ambeh (hail Ambeh) were true, it has become irrelevant to the term's modern usage and meaning.[4][5]
In January 2002, the Risk Advisory Group Ltd commissioned byPresident Moi's administration as part of the anti-corruption efforts recommended the abolition of harambee, or the spirit of pulling together.[6]
In 2003 when theNational Rainbow Coalition NARC took over from theKenya African National Union KANU, PresidentMwai Kibaki enacted the Public Officers Ethics Act which prohibited members of parliament and cabinet secretaries from presiding over harambee events.[citation needed]
In February 2018, a petition was presented to the Kenyan parliament andsenate, seeking to have the word "harambee" removed from the coat of arms on the claim that it represents a Hindu goddess.[7] The petition was rejected on the grounds that it would be discriminatory towards Hindus and theHindi language, that the wordHarambee is internationally recognised, and that the cost incurred in changing the coat of arms would be significant.[3]