Government declares November 13 a public holiday

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki. [File, Standard]

The government has declared November 13th a public holiday.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, through a gazette notice, said the public will be engaged planting trees nationwide.

"In exercise of powers conferred by section 3 of the Public Holidays Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration declares Monday, November 13, 2023, a public holiday in which the public shall be engaged in tree growing nationwide.

"The exercise is part of Kenya's Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Programme-Towards the Growing of 15 billion trees," reads the gazette notice in part.

On the said day, President William Ruto will lead the country in tree planting at a designated national venue.

Additionally, there will be County venues, presided over by Cabinet Secretaries and Governors, where all Kenyan citizens and the general public shall be expected to participate.

On its part, the Ministry of Environment says it has set a target of 500 million seedlings.

The government has clarified that the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE), which started today, will continue as planned.