Katiba Day: Kenyans disappointed after new holiday declared 'working day'

Kenyans online are a disappointed lot after learning that the newly declared Katiba Day will not be a day off work, if the reactions on social media are anything to go by.

Most of them, seeking to catch a break from their usual routines, will now still have to report to work.

President William Ruto announced that August 27 will be marked annually as Katiba Day, to commemorate 15 years since the 2010 Constitution came into force and to encourage civic engagement.

"Katiba Day is an opportunity for Kenyans to reflect on our collective duty to obey, preserve, protect, and implement the Constitution," said Ruto.

The president hailed the 2010 Constitution as a historic milestone, ushering in citizen-centred governance, devolution, protection of rights and freedoms, and a vision for a just and equitable nation.

President William Ruto has issued a proclamation designating the 27th of August, 2025 and every 27th of August thereafter as Katiba Day.

Katiba Day will be marked as a working day dedicated to fostering national dialogue on constitutionalism and in civic engagements. pic.twitter.com/lVk5h6Qjp8 - Hussein Mohamed, MBS. (@HusseinMohamedg) August 25, 2025

While the government expects schools, institutions, and diplomatic missions abroad to host activities that promote constitutional awareness, dialogue on governance, and respect for the rule of law, the day will remain a working day.

"The day will be observed every year in Kenya and at diplomatic missions abroad," Ruto clarified.

But for many Kenyans online, the excitement fizzled the moment they discovered they'd still be reporting to work.

Carol Mutisya lamented, "Holiday ya working day?"

One user on Facebook asked, "So, what's the importance of Katiba Day without a holiday? No significance"

Evans Kasmai quipped, "Make it a holiday, not a working day. It will show the seriousness of this promulgation of the Constitution Day."

Others took issue with the symbolism, questioning why the president would want to anchor the day on a constitution he once opposed.

Gikonyo Stephen quipped, "But you vehemently opposed it and u continue to oppose it."

Despite the social media grumbling, Katiba Day draws attention to a defining chapter in Kenya's political journey.

The push for a new constitution was decades in the making, with Kenyans demanding reform to replace the colonial-era framework that had been repeatedly amended to entrench presidential power.

Years of failed reform attempts culminated in the post-election crisis of 2007-2008, which forced constitutional change to the top of the national agenda.

A Committee of Experts, chaired by Nzamba Kitonga, led the drafting process after extensive public consultations.

Their work, alongside input from parliament and civil society, gave Kenyans a chance to vote in a national referendum that overwhelmingly passed the new constitution in August 2010.