Over the last few days, many Kenyans have wondered whether the country will observe Diwali as a public holiday or not.
Some Kenyans have gone overboard to spread the rumour of the possibility of a public holiday come Monday 24 October ,2022.
It has been noted that according to Google Trends, there has been close to 100% interest growth in Diwali with the most searched question on Google being: Is Monday a public holiday in Kenya?
However,the issue of Monday being a public holiday still remains a mystery as by Friday evening (October 21, 2022), the Ministry of Interior had not gazetted the day as a public holiday.
This only sugges that Monday, October 24, 2022, would be a normal working day for kenyans who do not subscribe to the Hindu faith.
Over the last three years,the Ministry of Interior has had to refute claims that the day had been gazetted as a public holiday and that Kenyans will be expected to continue with their normal schedules.
Diwali is celebrated by the hindu community and it lasts over five days.
The name of this festival was derived from ‘avali,’ which means ‘row,’ and ‘deepa,’ meaning ‘clay lamps’ which when brought together creates a meaning of ‘a row of lights.’ For this reason, lights are symbolic of this festival and Indians go overboard with sparklers and fireworks to fuel the inner light that spiritually protects them from the darkness.