Government cancels announement declaring 26 August a public holiday aead on national census

Government issues clarification on announcement declaring 26 August 2019 a public holiday

Charles Ouma

August 17, 2019 9:04 AM

What you need to know about Monday, 26 August 2019

File image of President Uhuru Kenyatta during the launch of the countdown to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census

The government has made a U-turn and confirmed that Monday, 26 August 2019 is not a public holiday, contrary to an earlier communication.

The clarification which was made on Friday night came a few hours after the President’s Strategic Communications Unit (PSCU) stated in an earlier communique that Monday will be a public before the statement was pulled down and cancelled.

The clarification read that “Contrary to our earlier dispatch on the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, we wish to clarify that His Excellency the President did not announce that August 26 will be a public holiday”.

“We regret the error and wish to say that as much as the Kenya 2019 Population and Housing Census is important to the country, August 26 which will be on a Monday will not be a public holiday. Our apologies for inconveniences caused by the erroneous communication.” Added the statement.

Government issues clarification on announcement declaring 26 August 2019 a public holiday Pulse Live Kenya

Earlier on, an announcement posted on the official State House Twitter handle at around 7:40pm but which was deleted three hours later and replaced with a new one clarifying that the day is not a public holiday read:

“To ensure maximum enumeration during the first two days (August 24 and 25) of the census period, I have authorized Monday, 26th August 2019 to be a public holiday”.

The exercise is set to commence on 24 August 2019 across the country.

Charles Ouma