Attached to this Facebook post is a special issue of The Kenya Gazette, released on March 17, 2023. The notice declaring March 20, 2023, a national holiday marking Mass Action Day was allegedly drafted and released by the Cabinet Secretary of Interior and Administration of National Government Prof. Kithure Kindiki.
The image was also shared in other posts here and here.
Background
On March 15, 2023, while addressing his supporters in Siaya, Azimio One Kenya leader Raila Odinga declared March 20, 2023, a public holiday. He called on Kenyans to participate in the protests to compel President Ruto’s government to lower the cost of living. He urged all who will participate to maintain peace. The National Council of Churches of Kenya called on Raila to postpone the protests but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
However, Odinga has no power to declare public holidays. According to the Public Holidays Act, only the Cabinet Secretary of Interior and Administration of National Government is allowed to do so.
Verification
The Kenya Law website uploaded the Kenya Gazette volume CXXV- No. 65 on March 17, 2023. However, it was a Weekly Issue and not a Special Issue.
To begin with, the volume numbers in the legitimate and doctored copies are different. The actual copy bears the volume number CXXV- No. 65, while the doctored copy bears the volume number CXXIV- No. 134. CXXV in Hindu-Arabic numerals is 125 while CXXIV is 124. According to the Kenya Law website, the Kenya Gazette issues released in 2023 bear CXXV (125) as the volume number. The doctored Issue bears volume number CCXIV (124) used on the 2022 Kenya Gazette issues.
See below a screengrab of the Kenya Gazette volume CXXV – No. 65 released on March 17, 2023.
On the Kenya Law website, a Special Issue volume number CXXIV- No 134 does not exist. The only Special Issues available are Volume CXXIV-No 133, released on July 8, 2022, and Volume CXXIV-No 135, released on July 12, 2022.
Similarly, Francis Gachuri, head of Communications at the Ministry of Interior also dismissed the alleged Special Issue of the Kenya Gazette as fake.
Verdict
The alleged special issue of the Kenya Gazette declaring March 20, 2023, a public holiday is FAKE.
This fact-check was edited by Piga Firimbi Fact-Checking Editor Linda Ngari.
Add comment