Public Holidays in Kenya
Statutory public holidays in Kenya, with the dates that give people the day off, how the calendar is set, and what it means for travel, cities and culture.
Kenya at a glance
Kenya’s public holidays centre on Madaraka Day on 1 June and Jamhuri Day on 12 December, with Christian and Islamic dates also observed.
Several dates move with Easter, and the August and December holiday periods are the peak domestic travel seasons.
Kenya public holidays 2026
Kenya has 11 public holidays in 2026 – the statutory days off. The table below lists those public holidays; observances and other non-statutory dates are not part of the total.
| Holiday | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan 1Thu | National |
| Eid al-Fitr (estimated) | Mar 20Fri | National |
| Good Friday | Apr 3Fri | National |
| Easter Monday | Apr 6Mon | National |
| Labor Day | May 1Fri | National |
| Madaraka Day | Jun 1Mon | National |
| Mazingira Day | Oct 10Sat | National |
| Mashujaa Day | Oct 20Tue | National |
| Jamhuri Day | Dec 12Sat | National |
| Christmas Day | Dec 25Fri | National |
| Boxing Day | Dec 26Sat | National |
Showing 11 of 11 public holidays for 2026.
Major cities in Kenya
The urban centres that anchor most trips to Kenya.
Nairobi
A green capital of a national park on its edge, a museum and a tech scene.
Mombasa
A Swahili port city of an old town, Fort Jesus and Indian Ocean beaches.
Kisumu
A city on Lake Victoria, with a lakeside and papyrus wetlands.
Nakuru
A Rift Valley city beside a flamingo lake and a national park.
Nyeri
A highland town below Mount Kenya, with coffee estates and waterfalls.
Eldoret
A cool Rift city famous as the home of Kenyan distance running.
Top attractions in Kenya
The places that draw most visitors to Kenya.
Masai Mara
The great migration of wildebeest and the densest big-cat country in Africa.
Amboseli National Park
Elephant herds photographed against the snowcap of Kilimanjaro.
Lake Nakuru
A Rift soda lake famous for flamingos, rhinos and Rift escarpments.
Fort Jesus, Mombasa
A Portuguese sea fort of coral stone, contested for three centuries.
Lamu Old Town
The oldest living Swahili town on the coast, of coral and mangrove-pole houses.
Mount Kenya
An extinct volcano with glaciers on the equator, the country's highest peak.
Festivals, food and getting around Kenya
What the calendar looks like on the ground, and how to move through the country around it.
Festivals behind the holidays
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🎉
New Year's Day
Falls on Jan 1
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🎉
Ramadan Start
Falls on Feb 18
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🎉
Idd ul-Fitr
Falls on Mar 20
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🎉
March Equinox
Falls on Mar 20
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🎉
Good Friday
Falls on Apr 3
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🎉
Easter Sunday
Falls on Apr 5
Food & drink
Getting around
Matatus and long-distance buses cover the country; domestic flights and the Nairobi-Mombasa railway cover the long hops.
Travelling around Kenya’s holidays
What the dates mean once you are there.
Book around the peaks
Transport and hotels in Kenya tighten around major holidays; reserve early for the busiest weeks.
Check opening hours
Museums, banks and government offices usually close on statutory holidays, and often on the nearest Monday.
Carry local currency
Small vendors and rural businesses frequently take cash only, especially on holidays when banks are shut.
Expect crowded transport
Long weekends produce the year's heaviest road, rail and air traffic. Build in extra travel time.
Confirm the official list
Kenya's holiday dates are confirmed by government announcement; check the year page for the final arrangement.
Plan the long weekends
Pairing a holiday with adjacent weekends gives the longest breaks of the year — and the busiest.
Kenya public holidays: common questions
How many public holidays does Kenya have?
Kenya has 11 public holidays in 2026, counting every date typed National, Substitute or Bank in our calendar. Observances, religious dates and regional holidays are listed separately and left out of the total, because they are not days off across the whole country.
Where can I find the full 2026 list?
The complete 2026 calendar for Kenya is on the year page, with every recorded date in order.
Are Kenya's public holidays paid?
Statutory national holidays are generally paid leave for employees. Observances and commemorative days are usually not.
Do holidays move if they fall on a weekend?
Where a holiday falls on a weekend, Kenya typically observes it on the nearest weekday. Check the year page for the confirmed arrangement.
Are there regional holidays in Kenya?
Some holidays are observed only in certain regions or by certain communities. The year page lists what applies nationally.
Which years are covered for Kenya?
Calendars are published for 2026, 2025.
School holidays in Kenya
School term dates in Kenya
School calendar data last updated 10 Sep 2026. Dates come from education ministries and local education authorities; always re-check with the school before booking travel.