Kenya has eleven general public holidays under the Public Holidays Act, and in recent years the government has added Idd-ul-Azha by gazette notice. For anyone planning staff events, launches or field activations, those dates decide when people are in the office, when they are on the road home, and when supplier rates go up.
- The fixed holidays are 1 January, 1 May, 1 June, 10 October, 20 October, 12 December, 25 December and 26 December, plus Good Friday and Easter Monday.
- Idd-ul-Fitr and Idd-ul-Azha depend on the moon and are confirmed by a gazette notice from the Interior Cabinet Secretary, often only days before.
- When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day becomes the holiday. A Saturday holiday is not moved.
- Book December venues, crews and promoters by August or September. Everyone else is booking them too.
When are Kenya’s public holidays in 2026?
Kenya has twelve public holidays in 2026, including Idd-ul-Azha, which was gazetted for Wednesday 27 May. All the 2026 dates below are confirmed; the Idd dates were set by gazette notice.
| Holiday | Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday | Fixed |
| Idd-ul-Fitr | 20 March 2026 | Friday | Gazetted (moon sighting) |
| Good Friday | 3 April 2026 | Friday | Easter |
| Easter Monday | 6 April 2026 | Monday | Easter |
| Labour Day | 1 May 2026 | Friday | Fixed |
| Idd-ul-Azha | 27 May 2026 | Wednesday | Gazetted (moon sighting) |
| Madaraka Day | 1 June 2026 | Monday | Fixed |
| Mazingira Day | 10 October 2026 | Saturday | Fixed, not moved |
| Mashujaa Day | 20 October 2026 | Tuesday | Fixed |
| Jamhuri Day | 12 December 2026 | Saturday | Fixed, not moved |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday | Fixed |
| Boxing Day | 26 December 2026 | Saturday | Fixed, not moved |
Three of the 2026 holidays land on a Saturday, so there is no extra day off for Mazingira Day, Jamhuri Day or Boxing Day. Mashujaa Day on a Tuesday is the one to watch: many people take Monday 19 October off, so treat that whole week as slow for anything that needs staff or decision-makers.
What are the public holiday dates for 2027?
The fixed 2027 dates are known now; the two Idd holidays are estimates until the government gazettes them. In 2027, three Sunday holidays move to the Monday, which creates three extra long weekends.
| Holiday | Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2027 | Friday | Fixed |
| Idd-ul-Fitr | Expected 9 or 10 March 2027 | Tuesday or Wednesday | Subject to moon sighting and gazette notice |
| Good Friday | 26 March 2027 | Friday | Easter |
| Easter Monday | 29 March 2027 | Monday | Easter |
| Labour Day | 1 May 2027 | Saturday | Fixed, not moved |
| Idd-ul-Azha | Expected 16 or 17 May 2027 | Sunday or Monday | Only a general holiday if gazetted |
| Madaraka Day | 1 June 2027 | Tuesday | Fixed |
| Mazingira Day | 10 October 2027 (observed Monday 11 October) | Sunday | Moves to Monday |
| Mashujaa Day | 20 October 2027 | Wednesday | Fixed |
| Jamhuri Day | 12 December 2027 (observed Monday 13 December) | Sunday | Moves to Monday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2027 | Saturday | Fixed, not moved |
| Boxing Day | 26 December 2027 (observed Monday 27 December) | Sunday | Moves to Monday |
March 2027 is crowded. Idd-ul-Fitr and Easter fall about two weeks apart, which leaves few clean weekends for a launch or a big activation that month. If you are planning a first-quarter campaign for 2027, February or April is the easier window.
How do Sunday holidays and Idd dates work?
Under the Public Holidays Act, a holiday that falls on a Sunday moves to the next day that is not already a holiday. Saturday holidays stay on the Saturday.
The Idd holidays
Idd-ul-Fitr is listed in the Act with its date set by the appearance of the moon. Idd-ul-Azha is listed as a holiday for Muslims, and in recent years, including 2026, the Interior Cabinet Secretary has gazetted it as a public holiday for everyone. In both cases the confirmation usually comes a few days before, sometimes the day before. Do not lock a launch, AGM or ticketed event onto an expected Idd date without a fallback.
Holidays that only some people observe
The Act also lists Diwali as a holiday for people of the Hindu faith. It is not a general day off, but if your team or your audience includes Hindu families, avoid that date for staff events.
One-off holidays
The Cabinet Secretary can declare extra public holidays by gazette notice, and this has happened at short notice in the past. Build at least one movable day into any big programme.
From experience: put the expected Idd dates in your plan as “soft” and tell suppliers the event may shift by a day. A crew that knows this in advance can usually hold the date. One told on the Thursday cannot.
Which long weekends matter for events and campaigns?
Long weekends are bad for staff events and good for consumer activity. Offices empty, but malls, highways, beaches and upcountry towns fill.
- Easter (3 to 6 April 2026; 26 to 29 March 2027) is a four-day break and the biggest travel weekend outside December. Good for roadshows on major routes and in home towns, poor for anything needing office staff.
- Labour Day and Madaraka Day give three-day weekends in 2026 (Friday 1 May and Monday 1 June). In 2027 they fall on a Saturday and a Tuesday, so expect people to bridge Monday 31 May.
- October has Mazingira Day and Mashujaa Day ten days apart. In 2027 Mazingira Day gives a Monday off. Mid-October is a decent time for a mall activation and a poor time for a staff conference.
- Month-end and payday matter as much as holidays for consumer campaigns. Most salaried staff are paid around the end of the month, and retail footfall follows the money. A holiday weekend that lines up with payday is the strongest weekend you will get.
For field teams, remember that work on a public holiday usually costs more. Promoters, drivers and crew will expect a higher rate, and Kenyan wage rules generally require extra pay for work on a gazetted holiday. Check with HR or your agency before you budget.
How should companies plan around December?
December is the busiest events month in Kenya and the hardest to book. Jamhuri Day, Christmas and Boxing Day sit inside the short rains, and most companies want their end-of-year party on the same two or three Fridays.
- Staff parties: the first two weeks of December go first. A Thursday or a late-November date is cheaper and easier to book, and more of your staff will still be in town. Our end-of-year party team usually starts these conversations in August.
- Consumer campaigns: Nairobi thins out from around 20 December as families travel upcountry and to the coast. A Nairobi mall activation is strongest in the first half of the month. A roadshow in home counties is strongest over Christmas week.
- January: many people are paid early in December and then wait a long time for the January salary. Consumer spending is weak until late January, and schools reopen early in the month. Plan January launches for the last week or into February.
If you are planning a party specifically, our guide to end-of-year party venues in Nairobi covers the venue side.
How far ahead should you book around a holiday?
Add four to eight weeks to your normal lead time for anything that touches a long weekend or December. These are the planning windows we work to at Red Giant Media.
| What you are booking | Normal lead time | Near a long weekend or in December |
|---|---|---|
| Staff party or gala dinner (100+ guests) | 6 to 8 weeks | 3 to 4 months |
| Product launch with stage, sound and screens | 6 to 10 weeks | 3 months or more |
| Mall activation (space booking and approvals) | 3 to 6 weeks | 8 to 10 weeks |
| Roadshow across several counties | 6 to 8 weeks | 10 to 12 weeks |
| Team building day out of town | 4 to 6 weeks | 8 to 10 weeks |
| Group train or flight seats to the coast | 4 weeks | As soon as bookings open |
The week-by-week event planning checklist works backwards from your date and is worth printing before you fix anything.
Planning around a holiday?
Send us your preferred dates and we will tell you which ones clash, what they will cost and what we would pick instead. December slots are already moving.
Quick answers
How many public holidays does Kenya have?
The Public Holidays Act lists eleven general holidays: 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. Idd-ul-Azha is often gazetted as an extra general holiday, as it was in 2026.
What is the public holiday on 10 October in Kenya?
It is Mazingira Day, an environmental holiday. The 10 October holiday was previously Moi Day and then Utamaduni Day, and was renamed Mazingira Day in 2024.
If a public holiday falls on a Sunday in Kenya, is Monday a holiday?
Yes. The Public Holidays Act moves a Sunday holiday to the next day that is not already a holiday. In 2027 this applies to Mazingira Day, Jamhuri Day and Boxing Day. Saturday holidays are not moved.
When is Idd-ul-Fitr in Kenya in 2027?
It is expected around 9 or 10 March 2027, depending on the sighting of the moon. The exact date is confirmed by a gazette notice from the Interior Cabinet Secretary, usually a few days before.
When should a company book its December party in Kenya?
Start in August or September. The first two Fridays of December are booked first, and venues, sound crews and entertainers raise rates or sell out by November.
