In a gazette issued on Friday 8th July 2022, the government has announced Monday a public holiday for all Kenyan residents. The Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’I announced the Muslim celebration, Eid-al-Adha.
“It is notified for general information that in the exercise of the powers conferred by sections 3 as read with section 2(2) of the Public Holidays Act (Cap 110), the Cabinet Secretary for Interior Coordination of National Government declares Monday, 11th July 2022 a public holiday marking Eid-al-Adha,”
reads the notice.
The Eid-al-Adha means ‘Holiday of the Sacrifice’ and is the second and biggest of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam, the other being Eid-al-Fitr. The holiday honours the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to Allah’s command.
Instead of sacrificing his son, a ram was sacrificed instead.
Many Muslims will attend special prayers held at different major mosques and Islamic centres in different parts of the country. Eid-al-Adha concludes the pilgrimage to Mecca where faithful Muslims assemble before the official declaration.
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The festival’s announcements are based on Lunar sightings making the date vary from time to time. During the holiday, Muslims engage in charity ventures such as offering money, food and clothes to the needy.
The official declaration of the holiday comes after a series of misleading information was shared on different social media platforms on when the holiday was set to be gazette.