Kenya Declares Friday A Public Holiday, New Deputy President Swearing-In Ceremony
The government has declared Friday, November 1, as a public holiday to commemorate the swearing-in of new Deputy President nominee Kithure Kindiki.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi declared the public holiday following the formation of the swearing-in committee by Chief of Staff Felix Koskei.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, in the exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Public Holidays Act, and sections 3 (b) and 12 (3) of the Assumption of Office of President Act, declares Friday, the 1st November, 2024, to be a public holiday, being the date of the swearing-in of the Deputy President-designate,” read the notice in part.
This comes after the court lifted conservatory orders that had prevented Kindiki’s swearing-in.
DECLARATION OF A PUBLIC HOLIDAY. pic.twitter.com/JroY5nLfdN
— Musalia W Mudavadi (@MusaliaMudavadi) October 31, 2024
The three-judge bench, which included Justices Eric Ogolla, Anthony Mrima, and Fridah Mugambi, noted that staying the conservatory orders would severely impede the government’s ability to carry out its constitutional functions.
“We are convinced and find that the current constitutional framework does not envision any scenario in which the office of the DP would remain vacant except during the brief period required to fill a vacancy,” Justice Mrima noted on Thursday.
Following the orders, impeached Gachagua is no longer Kenya’s Deputy President.
Lawyers representing the National Assembly, led by Tom Ojienda, urged the three-judge bench to lift the conservatory orders so that Kindiki could be sworn in.
The Chief of Staff, Felix Koskei, appointed Mercy Wanjau, Secretary to the Cabinet, to lead a twenty-member committee to preside over Kindiki’s swearing-in.
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Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya, and Principal Secretaries Julius Bitok (Citizen Services) and Patrick Mariru (Defense) have all been appointed to the Committee.
Others include Edward Kiang’ani (Information and Broadcasting), Idris Dokota (Cabinet Affairs), Teresinh Mbaika (Devolution), and Untmi Bashir (Culture).
The announcement marks Mudavadi’s first order as acting Interior Cabinet Secretary.
Kenyans will also use the holiday to commemorate Diwali festivals that were previously not designated as public holiday, with President Ruto promising to sponsor legislation to make it an official holiday.
Kenya Declares Friday A Public Holiday, New Deputy President Swearing-In Ceremony
