No Diwali! Matiang’i denies Kenyans the most anticipated holiday

Interior cabinet secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i has said that Monday 28th remains a normal working day.

This is after a document started circulating on social media claiming that the CS had gazetted Monday 28th October as a public holiday to mark Diwali celebrations.

The ministry of interior through their social media handles urged Kenyans to ignore the document, citing that it was fake.

“Kindly ignore a gazette notice circulating on social media claiming Monday 28th October 2019 to be a public holiday. Monday 28th remains a normal working day,” read a statement posted on social media by the Ministry.

Diwali, Deepavali or Dipavali is a four-to-five day-long festival of lights, which is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists every autumn in the northern hemisphere. 

The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning “row of lights,” which are lit on the new-moon night to invite the presence of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.