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🇰🇪 Kenya Public Holidays 2026

Kenya has 11 nationwide public holidays in 2026 — 8 on a weekday and 3 at a weekend. 6 of them fall on a Friday or a Monday, so the weekend beside them runs to three days without using any leave. The full calendar is below, with the date, the weekday and the local name for every holiday, followed by a month-by-month guide to what closes.

Planning around Kenya's holidays

On public holidays, banks, government offices and many businesses in Kenya close, and transport may run on reduced schedules. For remote workers, holidays are a good time to explore — but a poor time to rely on local services or official appointments. Check the dates above before booking visa appointments or important meetings.

Kenya nomad & visa guide →

Public holidays in other countries

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Is today a public holiday in Kenya?

Checked on Wednesday 5 August 2026: no, that day is not a public holiday in Kenya. The next public holiday in Kenya after that date is Mazingira Day on Saturday 10 October 2026 — 66 days later. The day after, Thursday 6 August, is not a public holiday either.

The answer above is rechecked against the published Kenya holiday dates every time this page loads, so what it says about today and tomorrow stays current.

The next public holidays in Kenya after 5 August 2026:

  • Mazingira Day — Saturday 10 October 2026
  • Mashujaa Day — Tuesday 20 October 2026
  • Jamhuri Day — Saturday 12 December 2026
  • Christmas Day — Friday 25 December 2026
  • Boxing Day — Saturday 26 December 2026

Kenya public holidays are also called Kenya national holidays or the Kenya holiday calendar. This page is the Kenya holiday calendar for 2026, with the 2027 dates below.

🇰🇪 Kenya's public holidays in 2026 at a glance

Kenya has 11 nationwide public holidays in 2026. That puts Kenya joint 69th out of the 100 countries we track, level with 11 others. The median across those 100 is 13, so this is a short list. 8 fall on a weekday and 3 on a Saturday or Sunday. The year opens with New Year's Day on 1 January and closes with Boxing Day on 26 December. December is the busiest month with 3. Nothing at all falls in February, July, August, September or November. 1 date is marked “estimated”: these follow the Islamic calendar and are confirmed only when the new moon is sighted, so the official day can move by one either way. This list covers holidays observed across the whole country. Many countries add regional or state holidays on top, and whether a given day is paid depends on your employer, so check locally before you book around it.

Kenya public holidays in January 2026

New Year's Day on 1 January.

Kenya public holidays in February 2026

There are no public holidays in Kenya in February 2026.

Kenya public holidays in March 2026

Idd-ul-Fitr (estimated) on 20 March.

Kenya public holidays in April 2026

Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April.

Kenya public holidays in May 2026

Labour Day on 1 May.

Kenya public holidays in June 2026

Madaraka Day on 1 June.

Kenya public holidays in July 2026

There are no public holidays in Kenya in July 2026.

Kenya public holidays in August 2026

There are no public holidays in Kenya in August 2026.

Kenya public holidays in September 2026

There are no public holidays in Kenya in September 2026.

Kenya public holidays in October 2026

Mazingira Day on 10 October and Mashujaa Day on 20 October.

Kenya public holidays in November 2026

There are no public holidays in Kenya in November 2026.

Kenya public holidays in December 2026

Jamhuri Day on 12 December, Christmas Day on 25 December and Boxing Day on 26 December.

Long weekends and bridge days in Kenya in 2026

On 6 occasions in 2026 a Kenya holiday lands on a Friday or a Monday, which turns the adjoining weekend into a three-day break with no leave used at all. Another 2 fall exactly one day away from the weekend, so a single day of leave buys four days off.

Every Kenya public holiday in 2026

Show the full 2026 calendar as a table
Public holidays in Kenya in 2026
DateDayHolidayLocal name
1 JanuaryThursdayNew Year's DayNew Year's Day
20 MarchFridayIdd-ul-Fitr (estimated)Idd-ul-Fitr (estimated)
3 AprilFridayGood FridayGood Friday
6 AprilMondayEaster MondayEaster Monday
1 MayFridayLabour DayLabour Day
1 JuneMondayMadaraka DayMadaraka Day
10 OctoberSaturdayMazingira DayMazingira Day
20 OctoberTuesdayMashujaa DayMashujaa Day
12 DecemberSaturdayJamhuri DayJamhuri Day
25 DecemberFridayChristmas DayChristmas Day
26 DecemberSaturdayBoxing DayBoxing Day

Kenya public holidays — common questions

How many public holidays does Kenya have in 2026?

Kenya has 11 nationwide public holidays in 2026, 8 of which fall on a weekday. The count covers days observed across the whole country; regional and state holidays are not included, and whether a day is paid depends on the employer.

When is the first public holiday of 2026 in Kenya?

It is New Year's Day on 1 January, a Thursday. The last is Boxing Day on 26 December.

Which Kenya holidays create a long weekend in 2026?

Idd-ul-Fitr (estimated) (Friday, 20 March), Good Friday (Friday, 3 April), Easter Monday (Monday, 6 April), Labour Day (Friday, 1 May), Madaraka Day (Monday, 1 June) and Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25 December–26 December) fall on a Friday or a Monday, so the weekend beside them runs to three days without using any leave.

Do businesses close on public holidays in Kenya?

Banks, government offices and schools generally close on national public holidays in Kenya, while shops, restaurants and transport often run reduced hours rather than shutting entirely. If you are working remotely from Kenya, expect slower replies from local suppliers and government services on these dates.

Kenya public holidays in 2027

The 11 public holidays already published for Kenya in 2027. Dates that depend on a lunar or religious calendar can still be confirmed late, so check locally before booking against them.

What actually closes on a public holiday in Kenya

The working week in Kenya runs Monday to Friday, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. On a nationwide public holiday, banks, government offices, schools and most post offices close for the day.

Supermarkets, shopping malls and tourist attractions usually stay open, often on shorter hours, and public transport typically drops to a reduced, weekend-style timetable. Restaurants and hotels generally carry on as normal.

In 2026, 8 of the 11 public holidays fall on a working day — those are the dates when closures actually affect banks, offices and deliveries. The other 3 land on the weekend, when most of this is closed anyway.

The public holidays listed on this page apply nationwide in Kenya — the national calendar we track has no region-only public holidays.

Which 2026 holidays fall on a weekend — and whether Kenya moves them

3 of Kenya’s 11 public holidays land on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) in 2026:

Kenya generally grants a replacement day off when a public holiday falls on the weekend — where an official in-lieu date has been announced, it is already included in the calendar above.

Kenya public holidays 2027 — plan ahead

Kenya has 11 public holidays in 2027 — the same as in 2026. 6 fall on a working day. The year opens with New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027 and closes with Boxing Day (day off Mon 27 Dec) on Sunday 26 December 2027.

DateDayHoliday
1 January 2027FridayNew Year's Day
9 March 2027TuesdayIdd-ul-Fitr (estimated)
26 March 2027FridayGood Friday
29 March 2027MondayEaster Monday
1 May 2027SaturdayLabour Day
1 June 2027TuesdayMadaraka Day
10 October 2027SundayMazingira Day (day off Mon 11 Oct)
20 October 2027WednesdayMashujaa Day
12 December 2027SundayJamhuri Day (day off Mon 13 Dec)
25 December 2027SaturdayChristmas Day
26 December 2027SundayBoxing Day (day off Mon 27 Dec)

Want this calendar in your own tools? Download it free: CSV · iCal for Google/Apple/Outlook · JSON — or browse the full 100-country dataset. Free under CC BY 4.0.