Kenya's Hindu community will light up the skies this weekend under tighter rules, after Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho issued a notice on Tuesday restricting Diwali fireworks displays to four hours a night and only at approved venues. The festival of lights falls on Friday, November 6, and the celebrations, including the Hindu New Year, run through Sunday, November 8.

In the notice, Joho said all displays must comply with the Explosives Act, Cap 115, and must be "carried out in an orderly manner so that the general public are not inconvenienced". He wished the community a happy Diwali and a prosperous new year, but made clear that dealers and organisers who break the rules will be dealt with under the law.

The rules for organisers

  • Displays are permitted only between 7pm and 11pm on the authorised dates.
  • Fireworks may be set off only at approved venues such as temples, hotels, clubs, sports grounds and school compounds, or other sites cleared by an Inspector of Explosives.
  • Organisers must obtain a permit from the State Department for Mining at Madini House in Nairobi or from county mining offices before any display.
  • In urban and built-up areas, display shells may not exceed four inches in calibre unless an inspector grants a written exemption.
  • Aerial shells and other aerial fireworks may be fired only by qualified, experienced and sober operators.

The rules for dealers

Dealers are barred from selling restricted fireworks to anyone without authorisation and from selling any fireworks to children under 13, which the ministry notes is an offence under the Act. Aerial products, including shells, rockets, Roman candles and cakes, may be sold only to buyers holding a valid display permit signed by an Inspector of Explosives.

The guidelines mirror those issued for previous Diwali and New Year seasons, when complaints about late-night explosions, frightened pets and stray fireworks landing in residential estates prompted the ministry to formalise a cut-off time. Temples and community halls in Nairobi's Parklands and Westlands, in Mombasa and in Kisumu traditionally host the biggest displays, many of them open to the public.

A holiday for some, not all

Diwali remains a public holiday only for members of the Hindu faith under the Public Holidays Act, meaning most workplaces will operate normally on Friday. President William Ruto promised in 2024 that the festival would be gazetted as a national holiday, but the pledge has not been implemented.

For the thousands of Kenyans of Indian heritage, as well as neighbours who turn out for the sweets and the sparkle, the message from Madini House is simple: enjoy the lights, finish by 11pm and leave the big shells to the professionals.

Photos: Kahawatungu (CS Hassan Joho); Farhiya Hussein/The Eastleigh Voice (fireworks over Mama Ngina Waterfront, Mombasa). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.