President William Ruto has signed into law two important bills that promise to shake up how Kenya supports its most vulnerable citizens and holds public officials to account.
In a short ceremony held at State House Nairobi, the president gave his nod to the Social Protection Bill 2025 and the Conflict of Interest Bill 2023, both seen as game-changers in the country’s push for fairness in government and society.
The new Social Protection law will expand monthly government stipends beyond the usual groups like the elderly, orphans, and people living with severe disabilities.
Now, even more Kenyans struggling with poverty, natural disasters, job losses, pandemics, or other tough economic shocks will be eligible for help.
To make things easier, Kenyans will no longer need to line up at Huduma Centres with stacks of paperwork. The entire registration process is going digital.
A National Board for Social Protection will be in charge of handling who qualifies and how the benefits are given out.
The law scraps the older Social Assistance Act and promises better coordination and faster response to those in need.
It’s not just about money, non-cash support like food, foster care help, counselling, and medical services will also be part of the package.
Counties will now have to step up too. The law requires them to contribute to a newly established Social Protection Fund, run under the Public Finance Management Act.
The fund will collect money from both the national and county governments to support welfare projects in all 47 counties.
Apart from this, the president also approved the Conflict of Interest Bill, which aims at strengthening the rules on ethical conduct in public service.
The law passed by Parliament after recommendations from the president expands the authorisation of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to monitor and implement integrity laws.
It now requires officials to declare their assets, income, and liabilities publicly. They are members of county assemblies, county staff, and top judicial officers including the Chief Justice and his deputy.
The move is widely seen as a collective effort at plugging accountability loopholes that have for years allowed private interests to insinuate themselves into public service.
Both bills are set to have a lasting impact not just on the governance of public money, but also on how ordinary Kenyans experience the hand of government in moments of need.