Kenya Public Holidays & Working Days Calculator
How many working days fall between these dates?
Counted.
Counted.
Divides pay by the working days in the range to give a daily rate.
Which holidays to include
Listed for Muslims only, but gazetted as a national holiday in 2026.
A public holiday for Hindu employees only.
Idd-ul-Fitr and Idd-ul-Azha 2027 depend on the moon and haven't been gazetted yet.
Working days
Pick a start and end date.
How it's worked out
- List every date in the range, counting both the start and end dates.
- Take out rest days: days that aren't in your work week (Saturday and Sunday on a Monday to Friday week).
- Take out public holidays that land on a working day. A holiday on a rest day changes nothing.
- Apply the Sunday rule: a Part I holiday on a Sunday moves to the next day that isn't already a holiday. Saturday holidays stay put.
- What's left is working days. With half-day Saturdays, each working Saturday counts as 0.5 in the weighted total.
- Adding working days starts counting on the day after the start date and skips rest days and holidays.
Kenya public holidays 2026 and 2027
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu 1 Jan | Fri 1 Jan |
| Idd-ul-Fitr | Fri 20 Mar (gazetted) | Tue 9 Mar (estimated) |
| Good Friday | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 26 Mar |
| Easter Monday | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 29 Mar |
| Labour Day | Fri 1 May | Sat 1 May |
| Idd-ul-Azha | Wed 27 May (gazetted) | Sun 16 May (estimated) |
| Madaraka Day | Mon 1 Jun | Tue 1 Jun |
| General Election Day | – | Tue 10 Aug |
| Mazingira Day | Sat 10 Oct | Sun 10 Oct, observed Mon 11 Oct |
| Mashujaa Day | Tue 20 Oct | Wed 20 Oct |
| Jamhuri Day | Sat 12 Dec | Sun 12 Dec, observed Mon 13 Dec |
| Christmas Day | Fri 25 Dec | Sat 25 Dec |
| Boxing Day | Sat 26 Dec | Sun 26 Dec, observed Mon 27 Dec |
Diwali (8 Nov 2026, 29 Oct 2027, estimated) is a public holiday for Hindu employees only. The Cabinet Secretary can declare extra holidays by Gazette notice at short notice.
Questions people ask
What are the public holidays in Kenya in 2026?
New Year's Day (1 Jan), Idd-ul-Fitr (20 Mar), Good Friday (3 Apr), Easter Monday (6 Apr), Labour Day (1 May), Idd-ul-Azha (27 May), Madaraka Day (1 Jun), Mazingira Day (10 Oct), Mashujaa Day (20 Oct), Jamhuri Day (12 Dec), Christmas (25 Dec) and Boxing Day (26 Dec).
If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, is Monday off?
Yes. Under s.4 of the Public Holidays Act, the next day that isn't already a holiday becomes the holiday. In 2027, Mazingira Day, Jamhuri Day and Boxing Day fall on Sundays, so Mondays 11 Oct, 13 Dec and 27 Dec are holidays. Saturday holidays don't move.
Is Idd-ul-Azha a public holiday for everyone?
The Act lists it as a holiday for Muslims only, but the Interior Cabinet Secretary usually gazettes it as a national holiday (27 May 2026 was). Diwali is a holiday for Hindu employees only.
How many working days are in 2026?
252 on a Monday to Friday week, after 9 public holidays that fall on weekdays.
Are the 2027 Idd dates final?
No. Idd-ul-Fitr (estimated Tue 9 Mar 2027) and Idd-ul-Azha (estimated Sun 16 May 2027) depend on the moon sighting and are confirmed by Gazette notice a few days before. Either could move by a day, so the calculator marks them as estimated.
Sources
Rates last checked 13 Sep 2026. Estimates only, not tax or legal advice.