[okie01]

One question: The document is attributed to the Coast Province, Republic of Kenya.

It is true that Kenya gained its independence from Great Britain and ceased being a Dominion on December 12, 1963 -- Kenyan Independence Day.

However, the Republic of Kenya dates from a year later, December 12, 1964, when Jomo Kenyatta was sworn in as President of the Republic.

History of Kenya

It is conceivable that officialdom might have been using forms labelled "Republic of Kenya" in February, 1964. But just as conceivable that such a term would not have been in use at the time.

[machogirl]

I’m still a little confused. Has the wording of this document regarding the status and name of Kenya been debunked? or still a tossup?

[kabar]

Elections were then held in May 1963, pitting Kenyatta’s KANU (Kenya African National Union- which advocated for Kenya to be a unitary state) against KADU (Kenya African Democratic Union- which advocated for Kenya to be an ethnic-federal state). KANU beat KADU by winning 83 seats out of 124. On June 1 1963, Kenyatta became prime minister of the autonomous Kenyan government, with the Queen of England through a governor remaining head of state. He consistently asked white settlers not to leave Kenya and supported reconciliation.

Kenyatta retained the role of prime minister after independence was declared on December 12, 1963.

On June 1, 1964, Kenyatta became President when he successfully had Parliament amend the Constitution to make Kenya a republic with his office becoming executive President: the head of State, head of Government, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

He thereafter ruled Kenya as African leaders of his time did, as an unchallenged chieftain

[politicalmerc]

See Post 58 for a rebuttal to the idea that the Republic of Kenya came around in 1964, it was 1963.

[behzinlea]

During that one year period, what forms would Kenya bureaucrats most likely have been using in February 1964? The old forms of a political entity that had ceased to exist (Dominion), or the new forms of an emerging political entity (Republic)?

There is a third option: temporary forms of an intervening temporary entity--whatever it was (neither Dominion nor Republic). This makes the least sense practically, because it's arguably needlessly expensive to make and stock forms that will only be used for one year. And what would the intervening entity be called, anyway?

Logically and practically, it makes most sense for Kenya bureaucrats to have been using the new Republic of Kenya forms in February 1964 inasmuch as the Dominion was dead and gone and the Republic was a "done deal" just waiting to be fully implemented.

[Calpernia]

Kenya’s independence day is Madaraka Day, June 1, 1963.