The Atheists in Kenya Society will on Friday, November 1 submit a petition to Parliament, seeking for the establishment of a national holiday for atheists.

In a statement to newsrooms, the society’s president Harrison Mumia says the decision has been informed after President William Ruto on Wednesday, October 30 hinted at initiating a plan to designate Diwali as a public holiday.

Ruto said this after a request by Hindu leaders when he hosted them at State House, Nairobi to mark the Diwali Festival.

“I will undertake to subject it to the process of government,” President Ruto said. “The Speaker is here, if it has to happen, it has to go all the way to Parliament but I assure you we will have made a decision by the next Diwali.”

In light of these remarks, the Atheists Society also wants the government to designate a holiday that “will celebrate individuals who have rejected religious beliefs (in particular, the belief in the God of Israel Yahweh, the Arab God Allah, and the Hindu gods!) in favor of humanism, secularism, and free thought.”

This initiative, Mumia says, aligns with Article 27 of our Constitution, which asserts that the State shall not discriminate against any individual on various grounds, including religion, conscience, and belief.

“If our petition is denied by Parliament, we will pursue legal action,” Mumia adds.