Government declares Thursday public holiday

By Peter Ochieng

The government has declared Thursday, October 10, 2024, a public holiday dubbed Mazingira Day.

The declaration was made by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, terming it a crucial opportunity to accelerate environmental protection, and raise awareness of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity and pollution.

“It calls for urgent meaningful actions from both government and citizens to ensure prosperity and sustainability for present and future generations.

To celebrate Mazingira Day, all Kenyans are therefore encouraged to participate in environmental conservation,” reads the statement, signed by Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale.

The Day, Duale added, aligns with the national landscape and ecosystem restoration program.

“Mazingira Day supports the goal of restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded land by planting 15 billion trees by the year 2032, through a whole of government and Society approach.”

In April 2024, the government renamed Utamaduni Day to Mazingira Day. The changes were effected after President William Ruto, after he assented to the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill.

"The Bill amends the Public Holidays Act (Cap. 110) to substitute Utamaduni Day with Mazingira Day as a public holiday to be observed on 10th October every year. This seeks to complement government efforts towards environmental protection and conservation."

The Bill was sponsored by Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) Kimani Ichung’wah, who doubles up as the Majority Leader in the National Assembly.

For the record, the Day has a long history. During Kenya’s second President Daniel Moi’s time in office, October 10 was known as Moi Day.

After he left office in 2002, it was renamed Utamaduni Day, Swahili word for culture.

The name was however short lived as it was renamed Huduma (service) Day. Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta led his cabinet in December 2019, to approve the changing of its name to Huduma Day, which then became Utamaduni Day in 2020 to honour the nation’s diverse cultural heritage.