The calendar
Kenya marks Madaraka Day on 1 June, Mashujaa Day on 20 October and Jamhuri Day on 12 December, alongside Christian holidays and Eid al-Fitr.
Country view
Kenya · 2026
10 recorded days · 10 public · 0 bank · 0 school · 0 regional
SponsoredYour ad here · 728 × 90
10In 24 days
Mazingira Day
Saturday · 10 Oct 2026 · Public
DateHolidayTypeShops shut?
01JanNew Year's Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
Good Friday
Nationwide
PublicShut
Easter Monday
Nationwide
PublicShut
Labour Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
Madaraka Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
Mazingira Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
Mashujaa Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
Jamhuri Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
Christmas Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
Boxing Day
Nationwide
PublicShut
● Public most things closed · ● Bank banks only · ● Regional some areas · ● School term dates
Bridge days worth booking
One day of leave, four days off. These are the 2026 dates where the maths works.
Mashujaa Day
Tuesday · 20 Oct 2026
Falls on a Tuesday. Book the Monday off and you get a four-day weekend — expect a lot of colleagues to do exactly that.
Book off: 19 Oct 2026
How the holiday year works in Kenya
How people take the days
Holidays falling on a Sunday move to the Monday. The December stretch from Jamhuri Day to New Year is when most people travel upcountry and offices run thin.
If you're visiting
The three national days bring presidential celebrations that rotate between counties, closing roads in the host town. Banks and government close; malls and matatus run.
If you live here
Occasional one-off public holidays are gazetted at very short notice — check before scheduling anything that depends on government offices.
What these days actually mean
Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.
Mazingira Day
10 Oct 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
Mashujaa Day
20 Oct 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
Jamhuri Day
12 Dec 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
Christmas Day
25 Dec 2026
- Observance
- The central Christian winter feast; in most countries the household gathering matters more than the church service.
- Business
- Near-total closure of retail, offices and banks. Expect the preceding afternoon to shut early too.
- Transport
- Skeleton or suspended services in many countries. Book intercity travel well ahead.