October 10th: Confusion as Kenyans mark the first Mazingira Day

As Kenya marked its inaugural Mazingira Day on Thursday, a sizeable section of Kenyans remained uncertain about the day, with some admitting to not knowing what was being marked.

The day had seen various people, including President William Ruto, unable to tell the days apart after the frequent changes in the labelling of the October 10th public holiday, which has changed names three times in just under six years.

President Ruto, through his X, had put up this poster wishing Kenyans a happy Utamaduni Day,  but one hour later, the post was pulled down and replaced with one wishing Kenyans a happy Mazingira Day; the confusion trickled down to Kenyans.

“Hakuna kitu tunaelewa ni nini inaendelea. Zile siku za zamani, serikali ilikuwa inatuwekea sherehe, tunasherekea, lakini saa hii hata hatutambui nini inaendelea. Yaani watu hawaitambui kama siku kuu,” a citizen, John Wambua, said.

David Wambua stated: “Sikukuu ya mazingira imekuja hata haitambuliki. Hata kamwe viwanja haina watu. Environmental Day haituleeti shangwe.”

For nearly two decades, October 10th had been a public holiday known as Moi Day, which was marked not only in honour of Kenya’s second president, Daniel Arap Moi, but also as a day dedicated to service to others.

However, following the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution, Moi Day was expunged from the list of public holidays.

After a seven-year hiatus, a petition at the High Court called for a reinstatement of Moi Day, arguing that due process was not followed in removing the holiday.

In a landmark ruling in November 2017, Justice George Odunga ruled in favour of the petitioner, setting the stage for the return of Moi Day.

Despite the victory at the court, the day was marked as a public holiday, with no official celebrations at the national level. In 2019, the Cabinet approved the inaugural name change in more than 20 years, where October 10th was to be marked as Huduma Day, a public holiday dedicated to acts of service to others.

The name was short-lived, and in 2020, October 10th was christened Utamaduni Day. The day was marked for the first time at the Bomas of Kenya to celebrate Kenya’s diverse heritage.

In April 2024, another christening beckoned after President William Ruto assented to the Statute Law Miscellaneous Amendments Bill, substituting Utamaduni Day with Mazingira Day.

The ping pong caused confusion among various quarters, where in Nakuru County, a section of residents marked Huduma Day by rehabilitating an earth road in Kabarak, oblivious to the changes.

“Hiyo siku irudishie tu mwenyewe, iitwe Moi Day. Juu hii mambo ya mazingira, mimi sioni ata ni nani anashughulika. Sioni hata kama kuna mtu anaitambua hizi vitu za mazingira,” another resident David Musyoka added.

With the public holiday having undergone three name changes in the last five years, many Kenyans may find it difficult to identify with it. And with the reasons for which the day is marked changing, the task of observing the day appears to have become that much harder.