Kindiki Declares Friday 21st April Public Holiday
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has declared Friday, April 21, a public holiday in Kenya to mark Idd-ul-Fitr, a festival that marks the end of the month-long fasting by Muslims during Ramadan.
The announcement was made in a special gazette notice dated Tuesday, April 19. Idd-ul-Fitr follows the Islamic calendar and is listed among Kenya’s gazetted public holidays. The exact date varies globally depending on the moon sighting.
Muslims believe that the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. During this special occasion, believers share food and other gifts with the less fortunate in their various communities. They also convene in various places of worship to break the fast.
Kindiki’s formal announcement came after a series of fake gazette notices indicating that he had declared Monday, April 24, as a public holiday. A team from the Interior Ministry flagged the posts indicating that Kindiki had not formally gazetted the public holiday.
Ahead of the end of the fast, President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua partook of iftar dinner with Muslim faithful. Iftar is a special moment for believers to come together to show kindness to others and to energize the body and spirit for the spiritual journey of prayer and reflection in the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga also hosted the Muslim believers for Iftar and called on the current leadership to foster equality in all sectors.
Kindiki Declares Friday 21st April Public Holiday
