Raila Declares March 20 A Public Holiday

Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga has declared Monday, March 20, a public holiday.

Speaking during a political rally on Tuesday, March 14, in Siaya, Raila revealed that the public holiday will allow Kenyans to participate in the mass action.

He noted that this will allow their supporters who would be typically at work on a Monday to join them in the rally.

Raila Odinga speaking during a rally in Kilifi County on March 13, 2023. /RAILA ODINGA

"Monday is on. I hereby now declare today in the name of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya alliance coalition that Monday, March 20 will be a public holiday," he announced.

The former Prime Minister further reiterated that the mass protests will be peaceful and not involve any kind of violence.

"We do not want any kind of violence or bloodshed. It is going to be peaceful. We are only doing this because it is the only alternative that we have," he went on.

He further revealed that a group of religious leaders had approached him urging him to cancel the planned mass protests in Nairobi, a move he stated the coalition would not allow.

"A group of the clergy through the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) have appealed to me. I want to tell them in response that when Azimio came to the conclusion that we need to have a protest, it was after our ultimatum was ignored," he continued.

This comes after his former running mate, Martha Karua lamented that Kenyans cannot protest on Monday and go to work.

"I am requesting Raila to declare that day a public holiday to allow us to complete this work. We cannot keep having elections rigging every year, it has to stop.

"The people must use their constitutional right to ensure that they allow the person who was chosen by the people to take over the leadership of the country. Let us join the rally to save this nation. This fight is for the people of Kenya," Karua stated.

Why Raila Does Not Have Powers To Declare Public Holidays

However, the Constitution of Kenya in the Public Holiday Act only gives the Minister for Interior the mandate to declare public holidays through a Gazette at any time he thinks fit.

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.

In addition, the Act gives a head of a department of the Government or other employers powers to open their offices and call their employees to perform their duties required of them on a public holiday. 

"The provisions of this Act shall be subject to any written law or individual agreement under which an employee may be required to work on public holidays under specified or agreed conditions as to rates of pay," adds the Act.

Kenya's first holiday of 2023 is not until April 7, 2023, when it will join the world in marking Good Friday, one of the days of the Easter weekend, which concludes on April 10 with Easter Monday.