Kenya’s most important holiday

December is, without a doubt, a festive month in most parts of the world, thanks to the Christmas and Boxing Day holidays. The month is even more special for Kenyans because it hosts the day that our country gained independence from British colonial rule.

Celebrated every December 12 and taking the name Jamhuri Day from the Kiswahili word meaning 'republic', the holiday marks the date of Kenya’s admittance, in 1964, into the Commonwealth community as a republic. A year earlier, 1963, Kenya had attained internal self-rule (uhuru) with Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta forming a government. When the Republic of Kenya was born, Jomo Kenyatta became our first president.