Let’s announce public holidays a year ahead
By MUNGAI KIHANYA
The Sunday Nation
Nairobi,
25 June 2017
This one question has
troubled me for a long time: why does the government wait until the last
few days before announcing the public holiday date of Idd-Ul-Fitr? Many
citizens assume that it because this festival is marked by the sighting
of the crescent moon. Well, when you think about it, that is not exactly
true!
Yes; the religious
festivities do rely on actual physical sighting of the moon, but the
date of public holiday does not. It is always announced a few days in
advance – long before the crescent moon appears. For example, this
year’s date was published in the Kenya Gazette on Tuesday 20th
June – six days ahead.
The unfortunate part
about it is that on June 5, 2017, the Chief Kadhi had written to the
government advising it that Idd-Ul-Fitr this year should be on June 26.
I have seen a copy of the letter and it was received by the Head of the
Public Service two days later – June 7.
With that advise, why
did the government have to wait another 15 days before publishing the
date? What other information was it waiting for?
It might appear
trivial but public holidays are a very serious matter because they mean
that government offices will not be open. Imagine if you had a case in
court schedule for hearing on Monday 26th June; you now have
to take new dates which can easily be six months into the future!
Contrary to popular
belief, the cycles of the moon are probably the most well-known
astronomical phenomenon. Its distance from Earth has been measured to
the nearest centimeter and its period of revolution to within a
thousandth of a second (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.877
seconds). This is more accurate than the measurement of an Olympic race!
With that
information, astronomers are able to predict the phases of the moon many
centuries into the future. Indeed, there are many calendars and diaries
that indicate these phases for the entire year. Furthermore, I have seen
an online calendar published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia showing the
dates of Idd-Ul-Fitr for the entire 21st century!
Now I first wrote on
this topic in July 2013 and correctly predicted the date of Idd-Ul-Fitr
2014 (Idd was on 28 July 2014). I revisited the subject in September
last year and again foretold the date of Idd this year (26th
June). So, today I can confidently state that next year’s Idd will be on
15th June – you can take that to the bank!
I think the time has
come for the Public Holidays Act to be amended to require that the date
of any public holiday shall be announced at least 12 months in advance.
As it is now, the government of the day plays politics with holidays in
the same manner that ancient Roman Emperors use to do over 2,000 years
ago!
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