Outgoing interior CS Fred Matiang’i has refuted claims on Monday being a public holiday. This comes after a photo of  a purported gazette notice designating Monday 24th October to be a National holiday surfaced online leaving Kenyans confused.

Dr Matiang’i urged Kenyans to ignore the fake notice and instead conduct their businesses normally. The fake gazette notice dated October 23 is attributed to Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and announces a public holiday without giving any details as to what is being observed.

There has been speculations since last week as to whether the day which falls on Diwali festival, will be a national holiday as Hindu adherents hold the day in high esteem. The five-day ‘Festival of Lights’, is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world.

The fake notice gazetting Diwali as a holiday is not an isolated case as it has happened before. In 2019 and 2021, the government was forced to trash the fake notices designating Diwali as a national holiday