US Embassy in Kenya to Close on January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The United States Embassy in Kenya will remain closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, the embassy has announced.

In a message shared on X on Saturday, the embassy said the closure is to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a public holiday in the United States.

“The U.S. Embassy will be closed on Monday, January 19,” the embassy said.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is marked on the third Monday of January every year. It honours the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader who fought against racial segregation and promoted equality through non-violent action.

The holiday was signed into law in 1983 and first observed in 1986. In 1994, the US Congress also declared it a national day of service, encouraging people to volunteer and support their communities.

Dr. King played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, helping to end racial segregation in the United States. The day is the only US federal holiday that honours an African American leader.