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Kenya public holidays 2026
Every Nairobi school closes on Kenya national public holidays regardless of curriculum. Where a holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday is normally gazetted as the day off. The 2026 dates are:
| Holiday | Date 2026 |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Eid al-Fitr (Idd ul-Fitr) | Saturday 21 March (subject to moon sighting) |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April |
| Labour Day | Friday 1 May |
| Eid al-Adha (Idd ul-Azha) | Wednesday 27 May (subject to moon sighting) |
| Madaraka Day | Monday 1 June |
| Mazingira Day | Saturday 10 October (observed Monday 12 October) |
| Mashujaa Day | Tuesday 20 October |
| Jamhuri Day | Saturday 12 December (observed Monday 14 December) |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December |
| Utamaduni (Boxing) Day | Saturday 26 December (observed Monday 28 December) |
The two Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, depend on the lunar calendar and are confirmed by the Chief Kadhi a day or two ahead, so treat the March and May dates as expected rather than fixed. Madaraka Day, Mashujaa Day and Jamhuri Day are the three national days that anchor the civic calendar.
Kenyan curriculum term dates 2026 and 2026-27
Schools teaching the Kenyan curriculum, which is moving from the old 8-4-4 system to Competency Based Education, follow a national three-term calendar published by the Ministry of Education. Every school in the system, from pre-primary to senior school, works to the same dates, so there is almost no variation across Nairobi. The 2026 calendar is:
| Term | Dates |
|---|---|
| Term 1 2026 | Mon 5 January to Thu 2 April |
| Term 1 half term | Wed 25 February to Sun 1 March |
| April holiday | Fri 3 April to Sun 26 April |
| Term 2 2026 | Mon 27 April to Fri 31 July |
| August holiday | Sat 1 August to Sun 23 August |
| Term 3 2026 | Mon 24 August to Fri 23 October |
| End-of-year holiday | Mon 26 October to Thu 1 January 2027 |
The national examinations sit inside the long end-of-year break. The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education papers run from early to late November 2026 for candidate classes, while the rest of the school is already on holiday. The 2026-27 school year opens in the first week of January 2027 on the same three-term pattern. Exact dates for the next cycle are confirmed by the Ministry late in 2026, so use the January 2027 reopening as a guide until the official calendar is gazetted.
Building your Nairobi school shortlist?
Calendars in Nairobi vary by curriculum, so it helps to filter early. Our school finder lists Nairobi schools by curriculum, fee tier and area.
International school term dates
Most international schools in Nairobi follow a northern-hemisphere calendar, which means their year looks nothing like the Kenyan one. British curriculum schools such as Braeburn, Brookhouse, Hillcrest, Banda and Peponi House work to a three-term September to July year with a week-long half term in the middle of each term, a two to three week winter break at Christmas, a spring break around Easter and a long summer holiday from early July. The International School of Kenya and Rosslyn Academy follow an American two-semester August to June calendar with breaks at Thanksgiving and a long summer from June. The French school, Lycee Denis Diderot, follows the French national rhythm, and the German School Nairobi aligns broadly to the German pattern.
The practical headline for families is that a British international school in Nairobi breaks for summer in early July and returns in late August or early September, while a child in a Kenyan-curriculum school is in class through July and on holiday from late October. Families with children in both systems should expect long stretches where one child is in school and the other is not. To match a school to your home curriculum, our curriculum guides explain how each programme is structured.
Planning the year
Three practical notes for Nairobi families. First, fees at international schools are normally billed by term, three times a year, with the first invoice due before the September start, so budget for the largest outflow in late summer. Our Nairobi international school fees guide sets out the typical ranges. Second, the long Kenyan end-of-year holiday from late October overlaps with the short coast season, so flights to Mombasa and Diani and onward to Europe tighten sharply in December; book by September. Third, the British international school summer holiday in July is the natural window for home-country travel, and because it sits outside the European peak it can be better value than an August departure. For the wider context on living in the city, our Nairobi city guide covers neighbourhoods and school clusters.
Common questions
When do schools break up in Nairobi? Kenyan public schools close at the end of each term, in 2026 on 2 April, 31 July and 23 October. British international schools break up in early July for the long summer holiday.
How long is the summer holiday in Nairobi? Kenyan-curriculum schools take a short three-week April break and a long ten-week holiday from late October. British international schools take a six to eight week summer holiday from July.
When does the 2026 school year start in Nairobi? Kenyan public schools opened first term on 5 January 2026. International schools on a northern-hemisphere calendar begin the 2026-27 year in late August or early September 2026.
Does Ramadan change the Nairobi school calendar? Ramadan does not move term dates, but Eid al-Fitr, expected around 21 March 2026, is a national holiday that closes every school for the day.