Dear Friends,
I would like to say that as much as the word Harambee may sound the same as the Hindu word Hare Ambe or the like I object in the strongest terms that it means the same with what the Kiswahili word means. The word is a Bantu word from one of the Miji Kenda dialect Halumbe Which meant pull or push together. The word is a kin to another word Kulumba which means make or prepare like in the composing of a poem hence a poet known as Mlumbi.
The word has resemblance with a Luhya word khulumba which can be translated to push. When all is said and done, it is not fare to give a meaning to a word because it sounds like another word in a another language. For example we have words in our Kenyans languages which mean something else in another language. Some can not be uttered by the speakers of those languages. For Example Kipchoge’s Second name or Surname Keino can not be uttered in a church in Kitui or among the Kikuyu. Does the same sound of the word make the word have the same meaning in both languages?
Second, it is in History that Mzee Jom Kenyatta is the one who used this name Harambee when he found the Mijikenda people using it to urge the people to work together. It means to pull together so if our National team and the technical bench with the support of the goverment pull together, we can win games.
If we think that since the word harambee may sound the same as hare ambe hare rama hare krishna etc, and therefore making our harambee satanic, then why cann’t we go ahead and remove all the names of the days of the week; Monday, Tuseday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Satuday and Sunday from our calendar because each of them was a day dedicated to Roman gods?
In applied lingustics and sociolinguistics, when a word is taken from language A and used to mean something else in language B, the original meaning becomes absolete as far as the speakers of language B are concerned. For example the Kiswahili word Meli which mean a ship, came from the English word Mail meaning letter. To us kiswahili speakers we know that meli is that ship that sails on the in ocean. The word as it exists meli has no meaning in English whatsoever.
Another word related to this is the Word Man of War which was translated into Kiswahili as manowari , to us manowari is an Armored boat, in oher places it is defined as a venomous dangerous sea organism. Does this change the way we use the word in Kiswahili? There are other many words like Keya a name used by many Communities in Kenya which actually is the abreviation of The Kings African Rifle ( KAR) Panyako,- Pioneer Corps, Girimiti agirimiti, jirimiti, chilimiti – Agreement, Kandarasi- contract, Aluvanze- advance salary, and other names like Perpetua- Pelepetua( especially among the Luhyas- Scholarstica- Sikolo, Bartholomeus- maturumayo, etc
Harambee is not a Hindu god and can be a hindu word it is a Swahili word and Kenyan, it is only used in Kenya. Tanzanians do not use it.
I know the person who wrote a book on this issue of Harambee from Eldoret and when I asked him to talk about what I have raised here he couldn’t speak.
Thanks for this elaborate axplanation but you should have elucidated on what led to it being associated with the Hindu godess.Legend has it that Indians who were building the railway line used to invoke that word whenever faced with heavy loads and hence its adoption as our rallying cry.Just a thought!
Omera let me give you the real Origin of the word Harambee. This word is not african.
When the East African railway was underway, the British had a challenge with the labour aspect of the construction mainly due to language barrier between them and the Africans , India (which was already a colony before Kenya) offered an alternative because of better number English speakers. But there was another problem, Indians were mostly Muslims, Hindus,Hare Krishna’s and Kalasingas all worshiping different gods yet these people had to work,eat and sleep togather. Banianis have a god called JAI (you have seen inscriptions “JAI AMBE” ( JAI is GREAT) and of course you have heard of “HARE KRISHNA” meaning (Hail Krishna). The problem is that each group did not want to hear the mention of the other’s anywhere so there were conflicts, fights and strong hatred among the railway workers and the British were worried that they would not meet their objectives so to bring equality and satisfaction and harmony among the workers they introduced a chant that cleverly coins from both chants of “HARE KRISHNA” and “JAI AMBE” thus HARE-AMBE which was acceptable to both parties so when lifting the rail bars they would go HARE AAAMBEE! NOW YOU KNOW WHERE HARAAAMBEEE! came from
Hindus are Kenyans too you ignorant muppet! Funny how u love aping USA but cannot show tolerance and accept that Hindus are Kenyans too. Freedom of religion u bigot!
‘Harambee’ is Kenyan. Period. We also had English ‘imported’ and adopted [as official language]. So why not ‘harambee’ even if it was ‘imported by a group of indentured laborers who eventually called Kenya home? We should be cherishing our ethnic and racial diversities yet we poke holes in them.
It is a relief to hear this explanation. I though all along we have the names of foreign gods on our national emblem
I like the piece!! Forever kenya and “harambee”
There really is no need to hide the truth for the sake of accomodating a certain religion. It is true that Harambee originates from the rail workers as described in a comment above. It is also true that the Indians who settled in kenya are now Kenyans who live among us. No one will stop them from praising their god. I believe in freedom of worship. However, I would not use harambee and call it indigenously Kenyan, the same way they will not introduce “Praise Jehovah” into their culture, after having interracted with kenyan christians. I shouldn’t be expected to adopt it. Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. At the end of the day though, everyone is free to do what they please as long as it does not infringe on the freedoms of another.
The article above does not reflect any research… You may need to visit the Kenya National Archives to dig out the truth about the origin of this word. Then maybe the truth will set you free if you are willing to know it. Also if you can chat with people who have actually done the research, eg Bishop Adoyo, then you will get deeper insights.
And if ambe is indeed a god, let it defend itelf.. it does not need humans to fight for it.
This is a dangerous trend in Kenya, bashing all other religions. I am given to wonder whether these Kenyan Churches are being funded and financed by the fundamentalist American churches.
This is distortion of History, there were Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims who worked on the railways. They had fundamental mutual respect for each others religion.
Ambe (as in Hindi – “He Ambe”, meaning “Oh, Amba”)is hindi conversational for the goddess Amba (the goddess of strength). Har is one of Lord Shiva’s names, who is Amba’s husband. It’s quite common in Hindi to say “Har Har Ambe”, as it is in Marathi to say “Har Har Mahadeo” (which was also the Maratha battle cry).{{Wikipedia}}
Jomo Kenyatta used Harambe as a brand to rally public to work together.
Is Moi’s – Nyayo – Hindi word too – Nya means new in Hindi/Gujrati.
Dear Sir, thank you for your article. indeed i am interested in finding the root of the word because it has been suggested to have idolatrous overtones and causes fear and consternation. Please send me the name of the person who did the research on the name and the book. Thank you
Hehe, @Jason Githeko actually uses the expression ‘Foreign gods’, oblivious of the fact that Christianity and the Holy Trinity are a foreign religion and God to the African people too! We had our own gods and religion that we abandoned in favour of the religion of our British colonizers, but we’ve so deeply internalized this that we actually now think it is ours indiginously! lol 😀
It’s quite interesting that you are trying very hard to reconcile the word “Harambee” by calling into aid off key sounding bantu words to meet your own internal standard.
The word hare Ambee, referring to the Hindu god, sounds more like Harambee, than the Luhya word Khulumba.
It would have made more sense if you advanced your argument from the historical point of view.
And you guys have you ever thought how heavy a rail bar is. I have attempted lifting one and i was able to do it alone. Why then did they need an (harambee ) to lift one by then bearing in mind they were stronger than we are now days.
Jai Shiv Shambhu!
In light of dispelling misinformation, I must comment regarding Jakobam’s comment, which has a lot of incorrect translations.
Jai is not the name of God, Jai means “victory”. Depending on usage, it can also be translated as “hail”, as in “Jai Maa” – “Hail Mother”, as Victory Mother doesn’t fully purvey the meaning or translate well in English. Ambe is one of the many names of the Goddess and is Sanskrit for “mother”. “Jai Ambe” means “Hail Ambe (Mother Goddess)”.
Hare does not mean “hail”. Hare is another name of Lord Vishnu, particularly in his Lord Narayana incarnation, just as Ram and Krishna are also other names and incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The mantra (often called the Mahamantra – the Great Mantra) “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare” is repeatedly chanting the names of Lord Vishnu. “Hare Krishna” and is often said as a greeting and blessing, also when praising God, expressing love and gratitude for God, etc.
The sound of harambe is closer to Har Ambe, than it is to Hare Ambe. Although, I am certainly not claiming that that is its origin, as I have doubts to that. Just because things sound the same or similar, means not that they are connected. Just look at similarity of the word hypocrite to Hippocrates. They sound similar and look similar, but the word hypocrite has nothing at all to do with Hippocrates.
Har is one of the many names of Lord Shiva and Ambe is the consort of Lord Shiva. Often you will find the names of Divine couples said together, which has a very powerful effect, as the two are joined in union as one, creating a synergistic effect. Har Har Ambe is often chanted giving praises and showing gratitude to the Supreme God and Supreme Goddess, also as a greeting to bless others.
None of the aforementioned names of God and Goddess are used by Muslims or Kalasingas (Sikhs) and so what Jakobam said makes no sense. They are, however used by both Hindus and Hare Krishnas (devotees of the ISKCON movement). ISKCON is basically an offshoot of Hinduism. They are Vaishnavites – devotees of Lord VIshnu.
I hope this provides some clarity on the subject.
Wishing you all everlasting peace and bliss!
Om Namah Shivay!
Hey hey Harambee to me means a joint effort in order to achieve or arrest a situation ad our God is jehova ngai ad to us Harambee has nothing to do with God as far as the meaning is concerned ad my question is who appointed this teacher to alter what we have lived knowing stop this beatings about the Bush ad welcome to my have in aid of my education.
As for me I wouldn’t support any of your research or any reply of other person above.The bible says Holy Bible (NIV) 1.3 – 1Ti 1:4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work–which is by faith.This discussion can corrupt,confuse,mislead and defile someone’s faith.Let each of us stick to his faith and read your bible carefully then knowledge of the truth will set you free.It not a must to use every word and failure to use you lose nothing.