President William Ruto has declined to sign into law the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Terrorism Financing Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, referring it back to the National Assembly for reconsideration.
In a memorandum addressed to the Speaker of the National Assembly, President Ruto cited concerns over the Bill’s transitional provisions regarding the tenure of the principal office holder of the Financial Reporting Centre.
The proposed amendment in Clause 3(2) seeks to institute a single non-renewable six-year term for the office, aligning it with other constitutional commissions.
However, the President argued that the clause does not adequately reflect the existing constitutional framework for independent offices, particularly those governed under Chapter 15 of the Constitution.
He noted that while the Bill seeks to streamline governance structures, its implementation would result in an officeholder potentially serving up to ten years—exceeding the eight-year limit currently applicable to offices such as the Auditor-General, the Comptroller of Budget, and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“The proposed framework fails to fully consider the governance architecture of independent constitutional offices,” President Ruto stated in the memorandum, invoking Article 115 of the Constitution to refer the Bill back to Parliament.To address the concern, the President recommended replacing the current transitional clause with one that allows existing office holders to complete their tenure under the terms that were in place at the time of their appointment.
The Bill, which was passed by the National Assembly on April 16 and presented to the President for assent on April 17, seeks to enhance Kenya’s legal framework in the fight against money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing.
Parliament is now expected to deliberate on the President’s reservations before taking a final position on the proposed changes.
