Public Holidays in Kenya 2026 – National & Public Holidays

Public holidays in Kenya in 2026 include statutory national holidays established by the Public Holidays Act, together with movable Islamic holidays whose exact dates are formally declared by the government. The 2026 calendar includes Idd-ul-Fitr on March 20 and Eid-ul-Adha on May 27 following official Gazette declarations.

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Next Public Holiday in Kenya

[next_public_holiday country="Kenya"]

Public Holidays in Kenya 2026

[public_holidays country="Kenya" year="2026"]

How Public Holidays Are Determined in Kenya

Kenya's principal public holidays are established under the Public Holidays Act (Cap. 110). Part I of the Schedule identifies recurring nationwide holidays including New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Madaraka Day, Idd-ul-Fitr, Mazingira Day, Mashujaa Day, Jamhuri Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The Act also allows additional public holidays to be declared by notice in the Kenya Gazette. This mechanism is particularly important for holidays whose exact Gregorian date depends on religious observation or a government declaration.

Idd-ul-Fitr in Kenya in 2026

Idd-ul-Fitr was observed as a nationwide public holiday on Friday, March 20, 2026. The date was formally declared through Gazette Notice No. 3955 in a Special Issue of the Kenya Gazette dated March 18, 2026.

Idd-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. Because its date follows the Islamic lunar calendar, the exact Gregorian date is confirmed through the relevant official declaration rather than treated as permanently fixed in advance.

Eid-ul-Adha in Kenya in 2026

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 was declared a public holiday to mark Eid-ul-Adha. The declaration was made through Gazette Notice No. 7653 dated May 25, 2026 under section 3(1) of the Public Holidays Act.

This date is included in the VisaBoards database only after the official 2026 government declaration rather than relying on an estimated lunar-calendar date.

Good Friday and Easter Monday in 2026

Good Friday falls on April 3, 2026 and Easter Monday falls on April 6, 2026. Both are statutory public holidays under Kenya's Public Holidays Act.

The dates create the Easter holiday period from Good Friday through Easter Monday for people who normally have Saturday and Sunday off.

Madaraka Day in 2026

Madaraka Day is observed on June 1 each year and falls on Monday, June 1 in 2026. The holiday commemorates Kenya attaining internal self-government in 1963.

Mazingira Day in 2026

Mazingira Day is observed on October 10 and falls on Saturday in 2026. The statutory holiday was previously known as Utamaduni Day before the law was amended in 2024 to use the name Mazingira Day.

The date remained October 10 following the name change.

Mashujaa Day in 2026

Mashujaa Day falls on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The national holiday commemorates people recognised for their contribution to Kenya's independence and national development.

Jamhuri Day in 2026

Jamhuri Day falls on Saturday, December 12, 2026. It is one of the fixed-date public holidays listed under Kenya's Public Holidays Act.

What Happens When a Kenyan Public Holiday Falls on Sunday?

Section 4 of the Public Holidays Act provides a specific Sunday substitution rule. When a holiday listed in Part I of the Schedule falls on a Sunday, the first succeeding day that is not already a public holiday becomes the public holiday, while the Sunday itself ceases to be treated as the statutory holiday for that purpose.

The Act does not establish the same automatic substitution rule merely because a holiday falls on Saturday. In 2026, Mazingira Day, Jamhuri Day and Boxing Day fall on Saturdays and are therefore retained on their statutory calendar dates in the main VisaBoards dataset.

Religion-Specific Holidays in Kenya

Not every religious observance listed in Kenyan law is a nationwide general public holiday. The Public Holidays Act distinguishes some holidays by community or religious affiliation.

Diwali, for example, appears separately in the Act for persons belonging to the Hindu faith. It is therefore not mixed into the primary nationwide public-holiday dataset.

Long Weekends in Kenya in 2026

Several 2026 public holidays create useful long-weekend periods for people who normally work Monday to Friday.

• March 20 to March 22: Idd-ul-Fitr falls on Friday.
• April 3 to April 6: Good Friday and Easter Monday form the Easter holiday weekend.
• May 1 to May 3: Labour Day falls on Friday.
• May 30 to June 1: Madaraka Day falls on Monday.
• December 25 to December 27: Christmas Day falls on Friday, followed by Boxing Day on Saturday.

These examples use the official public-holiday dates and a standard Saturday-Sunday weekend. They do not assume extra bridge holidays or employer-granted leave.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many verified nationwide public holiday dates are there in Kenya in 2026?

The verified VisaBoards dataset contains 12 nationwide public-holiday dates for 2026, including the separately gazetted Idd-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha holidays.

What is the next public holiday in Kenya?

The next holiday changes throughout the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the upcoming Kenyan public holiday from the current holiday database.

When is Idd-ul-Fitr in Kenya in 2026?

Idd-ul-Fitr was officially declared for Friday, March 20, 2026 through Gazette Notice No. 3955.

When is Eid-ul-Adha in Kenya in 2026?

Eid-ul-Adha was officially declared as a public holiday on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 through Gazette Notice No. 7653.

When is Good Friday in Kenya in 2026?

Good Friday falls on Friday, April 3, 2026.

When is Madaraka Day in 2026?

Madaraka Day falls on Monday, June 1, 2026.

When is Mazingira Day in Kenya in 2026?

Mazingira Day falls on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The holiday was formerly known as Utamaduni Day.

When is Mashujaa Day in Kenya in 2026?

Mashujaa Day falls on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

Does Kenya move a public holiday when it falls on Sunday?

Yes. Under the Public Holidays Act, when a Part I public holiday falls on Sunday, the first succeeding day that is not already a public holiday becomes the public holiday.

Is Diwali a nationwide public holiday in Kenya?

No. Diwali is treated separately under the Public Holidays Act for persons belonging to the Hindu faith and is not included as a general nationwide holiday in the primary VisaBoards dataset.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Kenya

• Kenya Law – Public Holidays Act (Cap. 110): statutory list of public holidays and the Sunday substitution rule.
• Kenya Gazette – March 18, 2026 Special Issue: Gazette Notice No. 3955 declaring March 20 as the Idd-ul-Fitr public holiday.
• Kenya Gazette Notice No. 7653, dated May 25, 2026: official declaration of May 27 as the Eid-ul-Adha public holiday.
• Kenya Film Classification Board: official government confirmation that Good Friday fell on April 3, 2026.