The government has moved to calm growing public concerns following President William Ruto’s assent into law of eight key bills last week. Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary Nixon Korir and Parliamentary Affairs PS Aurelia Rono have separately issued statements to clarify the intent and implications of the new laws.
In a detailed statement, PS Korir addressed misinformation surrounding amendments to land laws, explaining that the changes stemmed from a Private Member’s Bill by Ruiru MP Simon King’ara (UDA), not from the Leader of the Majority.
“The amendments require the Chief Land Registrar to register all public land allocated to institutions and any land set aside by developers for public purposes. The move will ensure transparency and curb land grabbing,” Korir said.
He dismissed social media reports suggesting that the new laws convert land ownership from freehold to leasehold or introduce new levies, terming them “misleading and not factual.”
Meanwhile, PS Rono published a one-page advertisement in the Standard newspaper to clarify the rationale behind the legislative changes. She stated that the amendments were aimed at improving government efficiency, addressing historical injustices, and enhancing transparency and equity.
“The Bills also reinforce our collective commitment to reform and national transformation,” Rono said, adding that misreporting had led to unnecessary public anxiety.
Among the assented bills are the National Land Commission (Amendment) Bill, Land (Amendment) Bill, Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill, and Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025.
Rono explained that the Virtual Asset Bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, seeks to regulate cryptocurrency and related activities to address Kenya’s grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force.
She further noted that five of the eight Acts originated from Private Members, underscoring the inclusivity of Kenya’s legislative process.
