Matiang'i declares Monday a public holiday

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has on Thursday declared August 12 a public holiday to mark Eid al-Adha .

Eid al-Adha, is one of the holiest days in the Muslim calendar.

Imam Habib Mohammed told the star in a phone interview that Eid al-Adha also dubbed as "festival of the sacrifice", is a celebration symbolizing the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismael.

"Muslims believe that Ibrahim was spared the heartbreaking task when God provided a lamb for sacrifice instead," he said.

Mohammed said that Eid al-Adha is the second annual celebration in Islam after the Eid ul Fitr.

"It is dubbed 'the big Eid', which is observed at the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan and took place on 4 June.".

This year the government declared June 4 as a public holiday to allow Muslims to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.

Kenya joins Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia and Afghanistan in marking Eid-al-Adha as a public holiday.