President William Ruto has defended his decision to sign eight key pieces of legislation on the same day the nation was mourning the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying the move was purely a matter of constitutional duty.
The President came under criticism from a section of opposition leaders led by former Chief Justice David Maraga after assenting to the laws on October 15, the same day Raila Odinga died.
Speaking on Thursday, Ruto said the signing event was part of his day’s schedule even before he learnt of Odinga’s passing.
He further noted presidential assent was determined by constitutional and procedural timelines.
“I woke up on Wednesday, and the signing was my work for the day—it is a constitutional mandate. I was to sign because the Bill had passed all stages and had been brought to me by the Speaker,” Ruto said.
Nothing to hide
The President added that the signing was conducted openly at State House.
“I was on duty just like any other citizen. There was nothing to hide—I was not doing anything at night,” he said.
The eight laws assented to included the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, Wildlife Conservation and Management (Amendment) Act, National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Act, Land (Amendment) Act, National Land Commission (Amendment) Act, Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Act, Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, and the Privatisation Act.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura earlier explained that the signing was “pre-arranged and scheduled” to ensure compliance with strict constitutional and international timelines, some tied to Kenya’s obligations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other development partners.
He said the government could not delay the assent process without breaching legal requirements.
“The presentation of the Bills for assent was scheduled to ensure continuity of government business,” Mwaura said, adding that two of the laws — the Privatisation Act and the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act — were vital for Kenya’s fiscal and financial compliance frameworks.
Ruto’s remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of the new laws, particularly the amendments to the Cybercrime Act and the Privatisation Act, which have sparked public debate over digital freedoms and state oversight of public assets.