Jamhuri Day

Jamhuri Day in Kenya carries two anniversaries on December 12: independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 and the establishment of the Republic of Kenya in 1964. Jamhuri means republic in Kiswahili. The sequence matters: internal self-government came on Madaraka Day in June 1963, independence followed in December, and Jomo Kenyatta moved from Prime Minister to President one year later.

The national ceremony combines military honours, cultural performance, awards and a presidential address reviewing government priorities. It also invites reflection on the freedom struggle and the republic’s record. Celebration of sovereignty need not erase continuing disputes about colonial land loss, inequality, state violence, democracy or whose contributions to liberation received recognition.

Article 9 names December 12 as Jamhuri Day and makes it a public holiday; the Act’s older Independence Day entry is read under the constitutional name. In 2026 it falls on Saturday, which does not trigger section 4. Section 4 of the Public Holidays Act substitutes only a Part I holiday that falls on Sunday, using the first succeeding non-holiday; it creates no automatic Monday holiday for a Saturday date and does not extend to the faith-specific days in Parts II and III. Section 5 allows government departments to open and employees to work where another law or agreement provides the applicable pay or time off, so a public holiday is not proof that every service closes.