On February 12 (a Wednesday), Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa of Kiambu County withdrew his contentious Public Holidays Bill, which aimed to change the way public holidays are observed in Kenya.
Thang’wa disclosed in a letter to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi that he had opted to withdraw the bill before its second hearing in order to focus on other bills he had sponsored that he felt were more nationally significant.
“I write to formally notify you of my decision to withdraw The Public Holidays Bill, which I am sponsoring, from further consideration in the Senate. I note that the Bill is scheduled for the Second Reading in today’s Order Paper. However, after careful deliberation, I have decided to prioritize other legislative proposals that I am sponsoring, which I believe are of urgent and immediate national significance,” read part of the letter.
In this way, he enumerated the four legislative proposals, starting with the consolidation of all bursaries to provide free secondary education.
His second proposal involved equitable development of wards by Governors, which he described as, “A legislative intervention I am championing to compel county governments to ensure balanced and fair distribution of resources and development projects across all wards.”
The third proposal Thang’wa mentioned to tackle the ongoing problem of counties overestimating their revenue collection targets—resulting in unsustainable budgets and a buildup of pending bills—was to rein in unrealistic own-source revenue projections made by county governments.
The last bill he mentioned was the County State Officers Impeachment Bill, aimed at creating a thorough process for removing county state officers from their positions, such as governors, deputy governors, members of the county executive committee, and speakers of the county assembly.
“Given the critical nature of these legislative initiatives and the need for urgent intervention in these areas, I believe that focusing on them will better serve the interests of the people,” he concluded.
Thang’wa announced on July 1, 2023, his plan regarding the Public Holidays Act, particularly concerning the observation of holidays that fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
He proposed that if a holiday occurred on a Tuesday, Monday should also be designated as a holiday. In the same way, he wished for holidays that occurred on Thursdays to also be recognized on Fridays.
He backed the amendment bill by arguing that a rise in the number of holidays could enhance holiday economics, as Kenyans often used these extra days for domestic tourism. He contended that it was also a beneficial means for Kenyans to focus on their physical and mental health over the long term and to boost productivity across different sectors.
“Extending public holidays supports economic growth and promotes domestic tourism by encouraging longer trips and visits to new destinations, benefiting the hospitality and tourism industry,” Thang’wa stated.
