By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Wednesday, April 10, 2024, will be a public holiday, the the government has announced.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki said the holiday is to allow Muslims across the country to mark Idd-Ul-Fitr.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration declares that Wednesday, the 10th April, 2024 shall be a Public Holiday to mark Idd-ul-Fitr,” CS Kindiki said in part of the notice.
Muslims have for the last 30 days been marking the holy month of Ramadhan where they fast and pray from dawn to sunset.
They usually break the fasting later in the day in what they usually describe as Iftar.
The 30-day period was to come to an end either on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the sighting of the moon.
Some Muslims are celebrating the day today while others will be ending the 30-day period on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, President William Ruto hosted Muslim leaders for an Iftar Dinner at State House.
In an update on his social media pages, the head of state said, “Islam is a strong faith that offers not only inspiration but also many lessons to others”.
“The commitment of Muslims to their faith is admirable,” he added.