Nairobi — The Senate will on Tuesday resume sittings with the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Senate Bills No. 13 of 2025) as the main item of business, in what is being billed as the most significant constitutional reform proposal since the enactment of the 2010 Constitution.
The Bill seeks to strengthen the Senate's oversight role by expanding its mandate to cover all legislation, granting it equal say in budget-making, and creating a County Assembly Fund to reduce financial dependence on governors.
It also proposes joint vetting of key state officers by both Houses of Parliament, including the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Auditor General and the Controller of Budget.
To build consensus, senators will roll out nationwide public participation forums to gather views on the Bill before it proceeds to the next stage.
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Preparations are also underway for the Senate Mashinani programme, which this year will take legislators to Busia County for a week-long session of plenary and committee meetings.
Meanwhile, in the National Assembly, MPs will begin by considering reports on the vetting of nominees for appointment as High Commissioners, Ambassadors and Consuls-General, alongside candidates for the positions of Registrar and Assistant Registrar of Political Parties, and the Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
Lawmakers will also debate several international and policy instruments, including the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the agreement establishing the Shelter Afrique Development Bank, the double taxation avoidance pact with Singapore, and Sessional Paper No. 2 of 2025 on the privatisation of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC).
On the legislative front, MPs will confront a heavy docket. Among the highlights is the Privatisation Bill (No. 36 of 2025), sponsored by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, which seeks to overhaul Kenya's privatisation framework by creating a new Privatisation Authority to improve oversight and efficiency.
Also lined up is the Kenya Roads (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill (No. 34 of 2025), introduced by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, which proposes reclassifying public roads into national and county categories, with county governments taking control of local roads.
The Bill further seeks direct allocation of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund to counties to guarantee funding for local infrastructure projects.
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The Virtual Asset Service Providers (Amendment) Bill (No. 15 of 2025), sponsored by Molo MP Kuria Kimani, is also on the agenda.
It proposes a regulatory framework for Kenya's digital asset industry by requiring providers to obtain licences from regulators such as the Central Bank of Kenya, the Capital Markets Authority, or a proposed Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.
Kimani said the law could cement Kenya's position as a leader in the digital economy.
"We have approximately 6.1 million virtual asset users. If passed, this law could attract Sh130 billion in foreign direct investment and create at least 25,000 jobs within a year," he said.
