Uganda Public Holidays List 2026

What Each Ugandan Public Holiday Means

New Year's Day (1 Jan, Thursday) Marks the start of the new calendar year and is observed across the country.

General Election Day (15 Jan, Thursday) The polling day for Uganda's 2026 presidential and parliamentary general election, declared a public holiday so citizens can vote. This is a one-off for the election year and does not recur in a normal year.

NRM Liberation Day (26 Jan, Monday) Marks the day the National Resistance Movement took power in 1986.

Archbishop Janani Luwum Day (16 Feb, Monday) Honours Archbishop Janani Luwum, the Anglican Church leader killed in 1977, recognised as a national hero.

International Women's Day (8 Mar, Sunday) A national public holiday celebrating the achievements of women. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday.

Eid al-Fitr (20 Mar, Friday) Also known as Idd al-Fitr, it marks the end of Ramadan. The date is gazetted after the moon is sighted, so it is tentative until confirmed.

Good Friday (3 Apr, Friday) A Christian holiday marking the crucifixion of Jesus, part of the Easter long weekend.

Easter Monday (6 Apr, Monday) The day after Easter Sunday, closing the Easter weekend.

Labour Day (1 May, Friday) Uganda's International Workers' Day, honouring the contribution of workers.

Eid al-Adha (27 May, Wednesday) Also known as Idd al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice that coincides with the Hajj pilgrimage. Like Eid al-Fitr, its exact date is confirmed by moon sighting and gazetted close to the time.

Uganda Martyrs' Day (3 Jun, Wednesday) Honours the Christian converts executed between 1885 and 1887, marked by a large pilgrimage to Namugongo.

National Heroes' Day (9 Jun, Tuesday) Recognises the Ugandans who contributed to the country's liberation and development.

Independence Day (9 Oct, Friday) Marks Uganda's independence from Britain on 9 October 1962.

Christmas Day (25 Dec, Friday) The Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Boxing Day (26 Dec, Saturday) The public holiday on the day after Christmas. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday.

Note: Uganda works a Monday to Friday week with a Saturday to Sunday weekend. One rule sets Uganda apart from many of its neighbours: a public holiday that falls on a weekend stays on that date, and is not moved to a weekday. In 2026 that affects International Women's Day (Sunday 8 March) and Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December), so most Monday to Friday staff lose those two. The two Idd holidays are gazetted only after the moon is sighted, which is why Eid al-Fitr was set for Friday 20 March 2026 and Eid al-Adha for Wednesday 27 May 2026, and either can move by a day from a printed calendar. The general-election polling day on 15 January is a one-off for the election year and will not appear in a normal year. The President can also declare additional one-off holidays by statutory instrument, so employers should confirm against the latest official notice before finalising leave calendars.

How Ugandan Holidays Impact Payroll and Leave Management?

Uganda's calendar has one feature that catches payroll teams out: when a public holiday lands on a weekend, it simply stays there. There is no Monday in lieu, so in 2026 both Women's Day (Sunday 8 March) and Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December) quietly drop off for anyone on a Monday to Friday week, while shift and retail staff rostered on those days may still be owed holiday pay. On top of that, the two Idd holidays are gazetted only once the moon is sighted, so they can move a day from any printed calendar, and 2026 adds a one-off general-election holiday on 15 January that will not appear again until the next election cycle. Under the Employment Act, staff who work a public holiday are owed extra, so the gap between a lost weekend holiday, a gazetted Idd and an ordinary working day has to show up correctly in pay. Tracking all of that by hand across attendance, leave and overtime is where mistakes start, which is why most teams let a system apply the weekend rule, each gazette notice and any one-off declarations automatically.