Raila Unlawfully Declares Monday, March 20, a Public Holiday

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga addresses a meeting with Muslim Clerics in Nairobi on March 2, 2023.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga addresses a meeting with Muslim Clerics in Nairobi on March 2, 2023.
Raila Odinga

Azimio Leader Raila Odinga has declared Monday, March 20, a public holiday to allow Kenyans to participate in the mass action. 

Addressing a political rally on Tuesday, March 14, in Siaya County, the former Prime Minister stated that the holiday would allow Azimio supporters who would normally go to work to join the protests.

The ODM leader made the announcement after a request from Azimio principal who was Odinga's running mate in 2022, Martha Karua.

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"We do not want any kind of violence or bloodshed. It is going to be peaceful. We are only doing this because it is the only alternative that we have.

"In the name of Azimio one Kenya Alliance, we declare that Monday, March 20 will be a public holiday," Raila stated.

Karua noted that Azimio supporters could not manage to go to work and also protest on Monday.

"I am requesting Raila to declare that day a public holiday to allow us to complete this work. We cannot keep having elections rigging every year, it has to stop.

"The people must use their constitutional right to ensure that they allow the person who was chosen by the people to take over the leadership of the country. Let us join the rally to save this nation. This fight is for the people of Kenya," Karua stated.

Odinga further revealed that religious leaders had appealed to him to postpone the protest, a move that he stated the coalition would not accept. 

"A group of the clergy through the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) have appealed to me.

"I want to tell them in response that when Azimio came to the conclusion that we need to have a protest, it was after our ultimatum was ignored," Odinga stated.

According to the constitution in the Public Holiday Act, however, the Interior Cabinet Secretary is the only person mandated to declare public holidays through a Gazette Notice.

"The CS may at any time if he thinks fit, by notice in the Gazette, declare any day to be a public holiday either in addition to the days mentioned in the Schedule or in substitution for any of those days and either throughout Kenya or in any district or area," the Act reads in part.

Moreover, the Act explains that a head of a department of the Government or other employers are allowed to open their offices and call their employees to perform their duties required of them on a public holiday. 

"The provisions of this Act shall be subject to any written law or individual agreement under which an employee may be required to work on public holidays under specified or agreed conditions as to rates of pay," the Act further details. 

Kenya's public holidays are: New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Eid-al-Fitr, Labour Day, Madaraka Day, Eid-al-Adha, Mashujaa Day, Jamhuri Day, Christmas and Utamaduni Day.

File photo of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga speaking at a public rally
File photo of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga speaking at a public rally.
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Raila Odinga
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