Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki has declared Monday, June 17, a public holiday
Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki has declared Monday, June 17, a public holiday
In a notification published in the Official Gazette, the declaration was made as part of the Muslim community’s Eid-Al-Adha celebrations.
This declaration is also made within the scope of powers conferred on the SC under the Holidays Act.
“We hereby give public notice that the Secretary of State for Home Affairs and National Administration, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2 (1) of the Public Holidays Act, hereby declares Monday, the 17th June 2024, will be a public holiday to mark Eid-Al-Adha,” the notice reads in part.
Eid-ul-Adha is commonly known as the festival of sacrifice. It is celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to Allah.
Prophet Ibrahim is remembered for his dedication and willingness to 6sacrifice his son, Ismail.
As detailed in the Quran, Allah provided a ram to Prophet Ibrahim before he sacrificed his son. So, as part of the celebration, Muslims will sacrifice an animal and share the meat with disadvantaged people in the community.
The festival also takes place at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid-ul-Adha takes place after the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Eid al-Fitr is celebrated at the beginning of the year, on April 10. This is after Muslims observe 30 days of fasting from March 11, 2024.
