BY: Jackson Ngari
As Kenyans prepared to mark the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024, protests, a purported Kenya Gazette notice began circulating online claiming the government had declared June 25, 2026, a public holiday in honour of those killed and injured during previous demonstrations.
The post, shared by an X user identified as “Gitz”, includes what appears to be a “Special Issue” of The Kenya Gazette purportedly declaring June 25, 2026, a public holiday.
The claim gained significant traction online. At the time of writing, the post had attracted more than 10,000 views, 483 likes and 182 reposts. The account behind the post has more than 55,500 followers on X.
The notice claims the declaration was made by a “Cabinet Secretary for Maandamano” under the Public Holidays Act.
BACKGROUND
June 25 has become a significant date in Kenya’s recent political history following the anti-Finance Bill protests of 2024, where demonstrators stormed Parliament, leaving several people killed, injured, or arrested.
Amid online conversations, a purported Kenya Gazette notice surfaced, claiming that the government had officially recognised the date as a public holiday.
Public holidays in Kenya are governed by the Public Holidays Act (Cap. 110). Any declaration of a public holiday must be made through an official gazette notice issued by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for Interior and National Administration and communicated through official government channels.
VERIFICATION
A review of the viral document reveals several inconsistencies that raise questions about its authenticity.
Most notably, the notice attributes the declaration to a “Cabinet Secretary for Maandamano.” Kenya has no ministry known as the Ministry of Maandamano, nor does the government have a Cabinet Secretary holding such a portfolio.
The purported gazette notice also differs from the format and language typically used in official public holiday declarations issued by the government.
Additionally, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura publicly dismissed claims that June 25 had been declared a public holiday, stating that the day remains a normal working day and urging Kenyans to report to work as usual.
A search of official government communication channels and public records also found no gazette notice declaring June 25, 2026, a public holiday.
Had such a declaration been made, it would have been widely communicated through official government platforms and reported by mainstream media outlets.
The circulation of fake gazette notices is not new in Kenya. Similar fabricated notices have previously appeared online falsely claiming that certain dates had been declared public holidays before being debunked by authorities and fact-checkers like Piga Firimbi.
VERDICT
The viral Kenya Gazette notice claiming that June 25, 2026, has been declared a public holiday is FAKE.
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