Holidays

• 1st January – New Year’s Day

• 2nd April – Good Friday

• 5th April – Easter Monday

• 1st May – Labour Day

• 13th May – Idd-ul-Fitr (Date varies on Lunar cycle)

• 1st June – Madaraka Day

• 20th July – Idd-ul-Azha (Sacrifice Feast)

• 10th October – Huduma Day

• 11th October – Huduma Day (in lieu)

• 20th October – Mashujaa Day

• 4th November – Diwali (The Festival of Lights)

• 12th December – Jamhuri Day

• 13th December – Jamhuri Day (in lieu)

• 25th December – Christmas Day

• 26th December – Utamaduni Day (National Culture Day)

• 27th December – Christmas Holiday

Paid Time Off

• Vacation/Annual Paid Leave

Employees who have completed twelve consecutive months of service are entitled to not less than 21 days of annual leave with full pay. 

If the employment is terminated after the completion of two or more consecutive months of service during any twelve months’ leave-earning period, employees are entitled to not less than one and three-quarter days of leave with full pay, in respect of each completed month of service in that period, to be taken consecutively.

An employer may, with the consent of the employee divide the minimum annual leave entitlement into different parts to be taken at different intervals.

• Rollovers and payout of unused hours

• Use-it-or-lose-it policy 

The remainder of the annual leave with pay shall be taken not later than eighteen months from the end of the leave earning period.

Maternity Leave, Child Raising Leave, Parental Leave

Maternity Leave 

Female employees are entitled to up to 3 months of paid leave. 

On expiry of a female employee’s maternity leave, the female employee shall have the right to return to the job which she held immediately prior to her maternity leave or to a reasonably suitable job on terms and conditions not less favorable than those which would have applied had she not been on maternity leave.

Female employees are entitled to proceed on sick leave or with the consent of the employer on annual leave; compassionate leave; or any other leave, immediately on expiry of maternity leave before resuming their duties.

No female employee shall forfeit her annual leave entitlement on account of having taken her maternity leave.

Medical certificate is required.

Paternity Leave

Fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paid leave. 

Sick Leave

After two consecutive months of service with their employer, employees shall be entitled to sick leave of not less than seven days with full pay and thereafter to sick leave of seven days with half pay, in each period of twelve consecutive months of service, subject to production by the employees of a certificate of incapacity to work signed by a duly qualified medical practitioner or a person acting on the practitioner’s behalf in charge of a dispensary or medical aid center.

The longest period of entitlement is thirty days with full pay and fifteen days with half-pay.

Jury Duty Leave, and Voting Leave

Not specified.

Bereavement Leave

Employees are entitled to take compassionate leave due to a death, accidents or sickness concerning relatives and friends. The number of days the employees get are deducted from the annual leave entitlement for the year.

Military Leave

Not specified by law.

Please consult your local legal counsel to learn more about Kenya Leave Laws.

To learn more about laws in various countries, check out our Leave Laws page.