Govt Declares December 27, January 2 Public Holidays

The government has declared Tuesday, December 27, 2022, and Monday, January 2, 2023, public holidays.

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki confirmed to the press on Thursday, December 22, meaning Kenyans will enjoy an extended festive season.

Christmas Day, December 25, falls on a Sunday, and Boxing Day, December 26, falls on a Monday. Usually, when a holiday is marked on a Sunday, a non-working day, the holiday is celebrated the following day on a Monday, which is a working day.

Kenyans pose next to Santa Claus at a mall in Nairobi. /THE STAR

However, December 26, Boxing Day which will fall on a Monday, would have taken up the slot for the “postponed” Christmas. That means that the Christmas celebration, which would have fallen on a Monday, will be pushed to Tuesday, December 27.

January 1 happens to be a New Years' Day, which in this case falls on a Sunday. Monday, January 2, 2023, thus becomes a public holiday.

Section 4 of the Public Holidays Act says: “Where, in any year, a public holiday falls on a Sunday, then the first succeeding day, not being a public holiday, shall be a public holiday and the first-mentioned day shall cease to be a public holiday.”

Section 3 of the Act gives the Interior minister powers to declare as a public holiday any day outside the originally-assigned public holidays.

“The minister may at any time if he thinks fit, by notice in the Gazette, declare any day to be a public holiday either in addition to the days mentioned in the Schedule or in substitution for any of those days,” says Section 3 of the Public Holidays Act.

The Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) also confirmed that the two aforementioned days will be public holidays.

"The Kenya Bankers Association wishes to confirm that Tuesday, 27th December 2022, is a Public Holiday to mark Christmas Day pursuant to section 4 of the Public Holidays Act when a public holiday falls on a Sunday.

"The same will apply to Monday, January 2, 2023, with respect to the new year’s holiday," KBA stated.

This is the first time CS Kindiki is declaring a national holiday since taking over from Fred Matiang'i.

Kenyans last got a long weekend over holidays due to public holidays following the demise of Kenya’s third President Mwai Kibaki on Friday, April 22. Friday, April 29 was declared a holiday to mourn him.

The subsequent Labour Day, May 1, fell on a Sunday, resulting in its rescheduling to Monday, May 2, which was already a public holiday to celebrate Idd-ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadhan.

Two public holidays – the rescheduled Labour Day and Idd-ul-Fitr – couldn’t be celebrated simultaneously, resulting in the postponement of one – Labour Day – to the next day, Tuesday, May 3.