This archive report was first published on 19 August 2019.
On August 19, 2019, State House announced that President Uhuru Kenyatta had designated August 26 as a public holiday to facilitate the national population census.
However, in a statement released on the same day, the Presidential Communication Strategic Unit (PSCU) clarified that the President had not made such an announcement.
According to the PSCU, the earlier statement was erroneous, and the President had not declared August 26 a public holiday.
State House had initially stated that the President had authorized the holiday to allow maximum enumeration of Kenyans during the census, which began on August 24 and 25.
President Kenyatta had assured Kenyans of their security during the census exercise, stating that necessary steps had been taken to ensure the activity took place in a safe environment and with minimal disruption.
