Why the US Embassy will be closed on Monday

The United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, has declared its closure on Monday, October 12, due to a public holiday.

In a notice on October 9, the U.S Embassy said the decision is in observance of Columbus Day, celebrated in the United States.

“The U.S. Embassy will be closed on Monday, 12th October 2026 in observance of Columbus Day,” the notice reads.

Further, the embassy confirmed that regular activities and all services offered shall resume on Tuesday, October 13.

During this period, all routine consular and administrative services are temporarily suspended.

Routine Visa Processing: Non-immigrant and immigrant visa interviews and application processing are unavailable.

Passport Renewals and Issuance: Standard U.S. passport applications, renewals, and pick-ups are halted.

Notarial Services: Document notarization and certification services for U.S. citizens and foreign nationals are closed.

Scheduled Appointments: All pre-booked visits and routine administrative appointments must be rescheduled to another business day.

General Public Inquiries: Standard customer support, office administration, and non-emergency public walk-in services are paused.

However, emergency assistance for U.S. citizens including urgent safety, security, and welfare services (such as severe illness, arrest, or death of a U.S. citizen) remain available via 24-hour emergency hotlines.

Columbus Day is a Historical Public holiday that commemorates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.

Columbus was an Italian explorer credited with initiating European contact with the Americas in 1492.

His journey to the Americas is widely considered and celebrated as the ‘discovery’ of the New World which led to increased exploration and eventual colonization by Europeans.

The day is celebrated in various countries in the Americas, Italy, Spain, and Little Italian islands worldwide. In the United States, it’s observed on the second Monday in October.

This day recognizes the contributions of Americans of Italian descent and marks the beginning of European colonization in the Americas.

Parades, cultural festivals, and community gatherings are hosted in cities with large Italian-American populations (such as New York City and Chicago) to honor heritage, food, and music.

In states and municipalities that officially substitute or add Indigenous Peoples' Day, communities hold educational programs, traditional dances, art exhibits, and cultural ceremonies honoring Native resilience and history.

Because it is an official federal holiday, closures and service changes affect federal, financial, and postal systems.

These include all non-essential U.S. federal government offices and agencies, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Federal Reserve banks and most major commercial banks, Federal courts, regional municipal buildings, and local departments like the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).