Kenya Public Holidays 2026 - Complete List for Payroll Processing
Kenya Public Holidays 2026 — Official List
Kenya observes 12 gazetted public holidays each year, though the actual number of days off may vary when holidays fall on a Sunday (in which case the following Monday is observed as a public holiday). For HR managers and payroll administrators, knowing the exact dates of Kenya public holidays 2026 is essential for processing overtime pay, planning leave, and ensuring compliance with employment law.
Below is the complete list of public holidays for 2026, including important notes on dates that depend on religious observances.
Complete List of Kenya Public Holidays 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year's Day | Start of the calendar year |
| ~20 March | Friday | Eid ul-Fitr | Subject to moon sighting; marks end of Ramadan |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday | Christian holiday; date varies annually |
| 6 April | Monday | Easter Monday | Day after Easter Sunday |
| 1 May | Friday | Labour Day | International Workers' Day |
| ~27 May | Wednesday | Eid ul-Adha | Subject to moon sighting; Festival of Sacrifice |
| 1 June | Monday | Madaraka Day | Marks Kenya's attainment of self-governance in 1963 |
| 10 October | Saturday | Utamaduni Day | Celebrates Kenya's diverse cultures and traditions |
| 20 October | Tuesday | Mashujaa Day | Heroes' Day; honours national heroes |
| 12 December | Saturday | Jamhuri Day | Kenya's Independence Day (Republic Day) |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day | Christian holiday |
| 26 December | Saturday | Boxing Day | Day after Christmas |
A Note on Utamaduni Day and the Former Moi Day
In 2020, the Kenyan government renamed Moi Day (previously observed on 10 October) to Utamaduni Day (Culture Day). The date remains the same — 10 October — but the holiday now celebrates Kenya's rich cultural diversity rather than honouring a single individual. HR teams should update their holiday calendars to reflect this name change.
Islamic Holidays and Moon Sighting
The dates for Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are approximate. These holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar and are officially confirmed by the Chief Kadhi based on moon sighting. The government typically gazettes the exact date a few days before the holiday. HR managers should plan for the approximate dates shown above but be prepared for a shift of one or two days.
When a Public Holiday Falls on a Sunday
Under Kenyan employment law, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as a public holiday. This is important for payroll because employees who work on that Monday are entitled to holiday overtime rates.
In 2026, the holidays that fall on a Saturday are:
- Utamaduni Day (10 October) — falls on Saturday. Since it does not fall on Sunday, Monday is not automatically a holiday. However, some employers may choose to give Monday off as a goodwill gesture.
- Jamhuri Day (12 December) — falls on Saturday. Same rule applies.
- Boxing Day (26 December) — falls on Saturday.
Note that the "Sunday to Monday" carry-over rule only applies when a holiday falls specifically on a Sunday, not on a Saturday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, employees on a five-day work week simply lose a day off, unless the employer provides a compensatory day at their discretion.
Impact on Payroll Processing
Public holidays have several direct effects on payroll that every HR manager must account for.
Overtime for Working on a Public Holiday
Under the Employment Act (2007), an employee who works on a public holiday is entitled to a day off with full pay within 21 days, OR payment at twice (2x) the normal daily rate. This means:
| Scenario | Payment |
|---|---|
| Employee does not work on the holiday | Normal salary (no deduction for the day off) |
| Employee works on the holiday and gets a day off within 21 days | Normal salary + the compensatory day off |
| Employee works on the holiday and does NOT get a day off | Normal salary + 1 extra day's pay (totalling 2x the daily rate) |
For hourly and daily-rated employees, the calculation is straightforward: pay double the normal rate for every hour or day worked on the holiday. For monthly-salaried employees, divide the monthly salary by the number of working days to get the daily rate, then apply the 2x multiplier.
For more details on overtime calculations, see our overtime calculation guide.
Monthly Payroll Timing
Public holidays can affect payroll processing timelines. If the last working day of the month falls on a holiday, you may need to process payroll a day early. Similarly, statutory remittance deadlines (9th for PAYE, 15th for NSSF) do not shift because of public holidays — if the deadline falls on a holiday, remit before the holiday.
Leave Planning Around Public Holidays
Smart leave planning can maximise employee time off without significantly impacting business operations. Here are some long weekends employees might request in 2026:
Key Long Weekend Opportunities
- Easter (3-6 April): Good Friday and Easter Monday create a natural 4-day weekend. If employees take Thursday 2 April off, they get a 5-day break using just 1 leave day.
- Labour Day (1 May): Falls on a Friday, creating a 3-day weekend.
- Madaraka Day (1 June): Falls on a Monday, creating a natural 3-day weekend.
- Christmas (25-26 December): Christmas falls on Friday and Boxing Day on Saturday. Many businesses close for the week between Christmas and New Year, so employees may request 28-31 December off.
Encourage employees to submit leave requests early around these periods so you can plan adequate staffing levels.
Public Holidays and Probation
A common question from employers: do employees on probation get public holidays off? The answer is yes. Public holidays apply to all employees regardless of their probationary status. If a probationary employee works on a public holiday, they are entitled to the same 2x overtime rate as permanent staff.
Recording Public Holidays in Payroll Software
Proper payroll software should have a built-in Kenya public holiday calendar that automatically:
- Marks public holidays in the attendance module
- Flags any attendance recorded on a public holiday for overtime processing
- Calculates the 2x overtime rate for employees who worked
- Deducts public holidays from the working days count for daily-rated employees
- Adjusts leave balances correctly (public holidays do not count as annual leave)
If your current system does not handle this automatically, you are at risk of underpaying overtime or over-deducting leave — both of which can lead to employee disputes or legal action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the employer have to pay for public holidays?
Yes. Monthly-salaried employees receive their normal salary, which includes public holidays. Daily-rated employees must be paid for gazetted public holidays even if they do not work, provided they were employed on the day before and after the holiday.
Can an employer require employees to work on a public holiday?
Yes, but they must compensate the employee with either a day off within 21 days or pay at twice the normal rate. This is particularly relevant for industries like security, hospitality, and healthcare where operations run 24/7.
What if a public holiday falls during an employee's annual leave?
The public holiday is not counted as a leave day. If an employee is on leave from Monday to Friday and a public holiday falls on Wednesday, only 4 leave days are deducted from their balance.
Are public holidays paid for part-time employees?
Part-time employees are entitled to public holiday pay proportionate to their normal working hours. If a part-time employee normally works 4 hours on the day a holiday falls, they are entitled to 4 hours' pay.
Automate Holiday Management with SmartHR
SmartHR comes pre-loaded with the official Kenya public holiday calendar for 2026. Our platform automatically handles:
- Holiday overtime calculations at the correct 2x rate
- Leave balance adjustments when holidays fall during leave periods
- Attendance flagging for employees working on public holidays
- Payroll adjustments for daily and hourly-rated employees
Stop manually tracking holidays in spreadsheets. Start your free trial of SmartHR and let the system handle compliance automatically. Use our salary calculator to see how holiday overtime affects take-home pay.
