President William Ruto recently approved the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, marking a significant shift in Kenya’s public holiday calendar. Among the key changes introduced by the bill is the renaming of the national holiday previously known as Utamaduni Day to Mazingira Day, to be observed annually on October 10th.
The decision to rename the holiday was announced by State House Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, following the bill’s signing ceremony at State House, Nairobi. The amendment seeks to align the public holiday with government efforts to prioritize environmental protection and conservation.
Initially, the proposal aimed to abolish Utamaduni Day altogether. However, during the bill’s debate in the National Assembly, Members of Parliament opted to retain the holiday while advocating for its renaming and rebranding to focus on raising awareness about environmental conservation.
The evolution of October 10th as a public holiday in Kenya has been noteworthy. Originally established as Moi Day to honor former President Daniel Moi, the holiday underwent changes over the years due to constitutional amendments and legal rulings.
Following constitutional revisions in 2010, Moi Day was removed from the list of national holidays. However, a subsequent High Court ruling in 2017 reinstated October 10th as a public holiday, prompting former President Uhuru Kenyatta to rename it Huduma Day. This renaming aimed to underscore the spirit of service and volunteerism championed by Moi during his tenure.
In 2020, Huduma Day underwent yet another transformation, being renamed Utamaduni Day, which translates to “culture” in Swahili. This iteration of the holiday sought to celebrate Kenya’s rich cultural heritage and promote national unity, cohesion, and economic advancement.
