The Office of the Deputy Chief Kadhi together with all Islam stakeholders has confirmed that Friday, April 21 is Idd-ul-Fitr.
Idd-ul-Fitr is a Muslim festival that marks the end of a month of fasting and prayers, known as Ramadan.
In a statement issued on Thursday evening, Hassan Omar Sukyan, the Deputy and acting Chief Kadhi says the moon was sighted in Mandera and Wajir Counties in Kenya.
Hours before, the Muslim faithful were confused, following controversy over the dates as to when the fasting period wraps up still lingers.
On Wednesday, 19, 2023, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki gazetted Friday, April 21 a public holiday to mark Idd-ul-Fitr.
Different Muslim scholars and notable Muslim leaders had aired divergent views on the gazette notice with some harshly opposing it.
Islamically, Ramadan ends on the sighting of the new moon, which marks the beginning of the next Islamic month, Shawwal, hence Idd is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal.
Traditionally, the sighting of the new moon (crescent moon) is done by trustworthy scholars who are identified as "moon-sighters". They are tasked with sighting the moon on the 29th day of the current Islamic month.
