The government declared Friday, November 1, as a public holiday, to mark the swearing-in of new Deputy President nominee Kithure Kindiki.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi gazetted the public holiday following the creation of the swearing-in committee by the Chief of Staff Felix Koskei.
"It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, in the exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Public Holidays Act, and sections 3 (b) and 12 (3) of the Assumption of Office of President Act, declares Friday, the 1st November, 2024, to be a public holiday, being the date of the swearing-in of the Deputy President-designate," read the notice in part.
This is after the court lifted conservatory orders that had blocked Kindiki's swearing-in. The three-judge bench consisting of Justices Eric Ogolla, Anthony Mrima, and Fridah Mugambi noted that staying the conservatory orders would immensely hamper the operations of the government as mandated by the constitution.
"We are convinced and find that the current constitutional framework does not envision any scenario in which the office of the DP would remain vacant except during the brief period required to fill a vacancy," Justice Mrima noted on Thursday.
Following the orders, impeached Gachagua now ceases to be Kenya's Deputy President.
Lawyers representing the National Assembly led by Tom Ojienda, had urged the three-judge bench to lift the conservatory orders to pave the way for Kindiki's swearing-in.
The office of the Chief of Staff Felix Koskei, appointed the Secretary to the Cabinet, Mercy Wanjau to lead a twenty-member committee to preside over Kindiki's swearing-in.
Among the Committee Members that were appointed include Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya, Principal Secretaries Julius Bitok (Citizen Services),and Patrick Mariru (Defence).
Others are Edward Kiang'ani (Information and Broadcasting), Idris Dokota (Cabinet Affairs), Teresinh Mbaika (Devolution), and Untmi Bashir (Culture).
The announcement is Mudavadi's first order in his acting role as the Interior Cabinet Secretary.
Kenyans will also use the holiday to celebrate the Diwali festivals that were otherwise not gazzeted as a public holiday, with President Ruto promising to sponsor a bill to make it an official holiday.
