By Michael Kanaabi Dollar
Fahad Mading Mwanga, a Legal practitioner in Kampala city has written a letter to the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda requesting that the day after Eid-Al-Fitir be made a public holiday.
The letter of which this publication has seen a copy was received by the Office of the Prime Minister a few days back and is copied to the Speaker of Parliament, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister, the Mufti of Uganda and the Minister of Public Service.
In this letter, the petitioner Counsel Fahad Mading points out that given the importance of the Eid- Al-Fitir celebrations to the members of the Islamic faith most of them have to travel far and wide to spend this important holiday with their families and loved ones.
“As a result it becomes impossible for people in employment like my self and others who have families far upcountry like mine which is in Budaka district to go and have the celebrations with them and be back with in a span of 24 hours as required by our employers to fulfil our work obligations” he said.
It is on that note that Counsel Fahad Mading Mwanga petitions the Prime Minister under section 2 of the Public Holidays Act cap 255 to advise his Excellency the President to declare the day after Eid-Al- Fitir a public holiday.
It is estimated that Eid-Al-Fitir this year will take place on any day between 12th and 14th of this month May 2021 and Fahad backs up his petition basing on the fact that Christians have 3 public holidays during Easter that is Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday.
Consequently he says it would be fair for Muslims to have an extra holiday day after Eid. In conclusion of his strongly worded petition, he says in Tanzania which is a neighboring country this is already being implemented and working well something that can be done here too.
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