Thursday, October 10, 2024, will be observed around the country as the first Mazingira Day, pursuant to a Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill provision that was signed by President William Ruto in April this year.
The new law amended Cap 110 of the Public Holidays Act to substitute Utamaduni Day with Mazingira Day, to be observed on October 10 every year as a public holiday in Kenya.
“Mazingira Day will be a day for all Kenyans to engage in environmental conservation activities, including tree planting and growing,” said President Ruto after signing the legislation on April 24. “This move is in line with the government’s push to accelerate the 10-year, 15 billion tree-planting programme that includes forest, wetland, and rangeland restoration.”
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Today, the first national celebration of Mazingira Day is scheduled to take place at the Nairobi Arboretum and will be presided over by Aden Duale, the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, starting at 7 AM.
CS Duale, who believes that changing Utamaduni Day to Mazingira Day is a great leap forward in ecological consciousness, has urged citizens from the grassroots level to formulate programs for environmental rehabilitation and protection to mark the day.
“To celebrate the day, Kenyans should participate in environmental conservation initiatives, such as clean-up activities to rid the environment of unwanted waste from homes, roads, parks, beaches, and any other areas that require clean-up,” he said.
Previously, Utamaduni Day, which was a public holiday to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity and promote understanding and respect for different cultures, traditions, and beliefs, was known as Moi Day.
From the 1980s, Moi Day was celebrated each year on October 10 to honour and celebrate the achievements of Kenya’s second President, Daniel Moi, but it was removed from the list of national holidays upon the promulgation of the new Constitution in 2010.
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