Matiangi declares Tuesday a public holiday to celebrate Idd-ul-Hajj

The government has declared Tuesday, August 21, a public holiday to mark Idd-ul-Hajj or Idd-ul-Adha.

Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Friday, through a gazette notice, declared the day a public holiday.

“It is notified for the general information of the public that, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Public Holidays Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government declares that Tuesday, the 21st August, 2018 be a public holiday to mark Idd-ul-Azha, 2018,” read the notice signed by Dr. Matiang’i.

The Idd-ul-Hajj / Idd-ul-Adha is used to mark the culmination of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims.

The Mecca pilgrimage is a mandatory religious duty for the religion’s faithfuls and must be carried out at least once in one’s lifetime by all adult Muslims capable – physically or financially –  of undertaking the journey.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam.