NAIROBI, Kenya – The National Assembly has been formally directed by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to review and address President William Ruto’s reservations regarding two important pieces of legislation—the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Terrorism Financing Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Conflict of Interest Bill, 2023.
The President returned both bills to Parliament, outlining his concerns and proposing amendments.
On Wednesday, Wetang’ula communicated to the House that the President had sent the bills back, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 42.
According to the Speaker, the National Assembly now has 21 days to reconsider the President’s objections and submit its response.
The first bill, the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, faced opposition from President Ruto primarily due to Clause 3(2), which sought to limit the tenure of the principal office holder at the Financial Reporting Centre to a non-renewable six-year term.
Ruto argued that this provision conflicts with the constitutional framework for independent offices, citing that it would exceed the constitutional maximum tenure of eight years.
To resolve the issue, the President recommended a transitional clause, which would allow existing office holders to complete their tenure under the current provisions, thereby aligning with the Constitution’s limits on officeholder terms.
Similarly, the Conflict of Interest Bill also received President Ruto’s scrutiny.
He raised concerns over multiple clauses, including Clause 2, which lacks clear definitions of terms like “family” and “relative.”
The absence of these definitions, the President noted, could allow public officers to bypass conflict-of-interest restrictions by using family members and relatives as proxies.
Ruto also expressed dissatisfaction with Clause 5, which would give both the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and a separate reporting authority the power to administer the Act.
He argued this would contradict Article 79 of the Constitution, which grants the EACC exclusive authority to oversee such matters.
The President recommended that the clause be amended to ensure the EACC holds sole responsibility for enforcement.
Speaker Wetang’ula confirmed that both bills had been submitted to the President for assent in April, as stipulated by Article 113 of the Constitution.
The bills were then returned under Article 115, necessitating the review by Parliament.
In line with parliamentary procedures, the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs has been tasked with reviewing the President’s reservations.
Wetang’ula emphasized the urgency of the matter, urging the committee to prioritize the bills and table its report soon to ensure that the National Assembly considers the proposed changes within the 21-day deadline.
