Kenya National Assembly passes Public Participation Bill, 2025

The Kenyan National Assembly has passed the Public Participation Bill, 2025, establishing the first formal legal framework for citizen involvement in government decision-making. Co-sponsored by MPs Otiende Amollo and Samuel Chepkong’a, the legislation aims to standardize how national and county governments, Parliament, and constitutional commissions engage the public.

Following a review by the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC), the Bill provides general guidelines and principles rather than rigid, centralized rules. This approach is intended to prevent over-legislation by allowing individual public entities to develop specific regulations under the Bill’s guidance. The scope of the law covers various governance areas, including budget-making and the implementation of government projects.

To ensure the integrity of the process, the JLAC report emphasizes that participation should not be incentivized by financial facilitation, noting that such practices could undermine democracy and create inequality. The Bill now awaits presidential assent to become law.