When Kenya needed a national anthem for independence, it turned to a prayer. Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu, Oh God of All Creation, was written specifically for independence and draws on the spiritual traditions of East Africa. Unlike many post-colonial anthems that are martial or triumphant, the Kenyan anthem is a prayer for blessing, justice and unity. It asks for something. It does not demand it. The choice to begin Kenya's national identity with a prayer rather than a victory cry said something about the kind of nation its founders hoped to build.