Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki's announcement declaring Friday, April 21, to mark Idd-ul-Fitr was faulted by a section of Muslim leaders.
In a statement dated Wednesday, April 19, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Chairman Hassan Ole Naado challenged the CS, indicating that the holiday should have been on Monday, April 24.
Hassan noted that Friday was still a fasting day among the Muslim faithful, so declaring it a holiday was incorrect.
"We have gotten this one wrong! May Allah guide us. The correct public holiday (Idd-ul-Fitr) is supposed to be Monday, as both Saturday and Sunday are considered holidays in our country," Hassan wrote.
"This might be the first Idd-ul-Fitr to be celebrated by fasting Muslims," Hassan added.
He argued that the sighting of the moon was supposed to be between Saturday and Sunday. Being the weekend, the CS should have pushed the holiday to Monday, April 24, the SUPKEM chairperson maintained.
"In that regard, there can’t be a holiday designated for Saturday or Sunday," Hassan further remarked.
His sentiments were echoed by Senior Counsel Ahmednassir Abdullahi, who reprimanded the Interior CS, arguing that Friday was the 30th day of Ramadhan.
Idd-ul-Fitr is celebrated by the Muslim faithful to break the fast and mark the end of Ramadhan. To enable them to celebrate, Kindiki, through a gazette notice, declared Friday, April 21, a public holiday.
"It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2 (1) of the Public Holiday Act, declares Friday, April 21, 2023, shall be a public holiday to mark Idd-ul-Fitr," the gazette notice read in part.
The gazettement came after the Interior team flagged several faked gazette notices indicating that Kindiki had gazetted Monday, April 24, as a public holiday.
However, by the time of this publication, Kindiki had not responded to Supkem leaders' concerns regarding the public holiday.
