Madaraka Day in 2025

When is Madaraka Day?

Madaraka Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Kenya on June 1st. If June 1st falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a holiday.

Madraka is the Swahili word for 'power' and Madraka Day is a public holiday that commemorates the day that Kenya took power when it attained internal self-rule in 1963.

History of Madaraka Day

The first colonists from Europe to have a presence in Kenya were German. In 1890, the region came under the control of the Imperial British East Africa Company, and Kenya was part of the British East Africa protectorate from 1895 until it became a British crown colony in 1920.

Disputes over land were common, leading to the Mau Mau rebellion by the Kikuyu people in 1952, which effectively put Kenya into a state of emergency for the next seven years.

The first direct elections took place in 1957, with the Kenya African National Union led by Jomo Kenyatta, an ethnic Kikuyu, forming the first government.

On June 1st 1963, Kenya became a self-governing country when Jomo Kenyatta became the first prime minister.

Full independence from British rule followed on December 12th 1963 when Kenya became an independent nation.

This is one of the three national holidays created by Article 8 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

How is Madaraka Day Celebrated?

To celebrate Madaraka Day, Kenyans will gather together in their thousands at the venue that has been selected for each year's official event. 

The event features military parades and singing and dancing.

The most important part of the event is the Madaraka day speech, given by the President. The speech often addresses the struggle for freedom in the country and touches on other issues that are affecting the country. The national anthem is then sung to bring the celebrations to an end.