NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 10 – Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Thursday led the Mazingira Day commemoration at the Nairobi Arboretum, calling on Kenyans to engage in environmental conservation efforts, including clean-up activities to eliminate waste from homes, roads, parks, beaches, and other areas requiring attention.
“Wananchi are encouraged to engage in environmental conservation activities in their neighborhoods, including tree planting and clean-ups, to mark this year’s Mazingira Day,” the ministry said in a statement.
Mazingira Day, observed on October 10th annually, replaces Moi Day, which was renamed Huduma Day and later Utamaduni Day before being rebranded as Mazingira Day in 2023.
The holiday, previously held in honor of former President Daniel arap Moi, was removed from the list of national holidays in 2010 with the adoption of a new Constitution. However, a 2017 High Court ruling reinstated it, and it was later renamed Huduma Day in 2019 and then Utamaduni Day in 2020 to celebrate Kenya’s diverse cultural heritage.
In November 2023, the government officially gazetted the day as Mazingira Day after President William Ruto assented to the Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2024, aligning the holiday with his administration’s environmental conservation efforts.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, in a Gazette Notice, designated Mazingira Day to support President Ruto’s ambitious target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 to combat climate change and restore Kenya’s forests.
