Kenya is Set to Abolish Boxing Day

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (C) chairs a cabinet meeting in Nairobi, Kenya./ PHOTO: Kenyan Presidency

Kenya’s cabinet has adopted a proposal that will see Boxing Day replaced by Utamaduni Day (Culture Day), dropping a holiday that has stayed put since the colonial period.

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day. It originated from the U.K. and is widely celebrated in countries former colonized by the British.

Utamaduni day is expected to help celebrate and nurture Kenya’s rich cultural diversity and traditions. The East African country has more than 70 ethnic communities, each with a unique culture.

While modernity has eroded some aspects of these cultures, most of the communities still practice most of their forefather's ways. The cabinet also approved the restoration of October 10 as a public holiday named Huduma Day (Service Delivery Day).

The day was initially set aside as Moi Day in honor of the country’s former president Daniel Arap Moi and was marked from 1998 until 2010 when it was abolished by the new constitution. The proposed amendments to the Public Holidays Act will take effect once approved by Parliament.

Source: HowAfrica.com