Utamaduni day renamed to Mazingira Day as Ruto signs new law

The Bill sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, seeks to amend various provisions of sixteen Acts of Parliament including the Public Holidays Act (Cap. 110).

The change will therefore see Mazingira Day being observed on October 10 of every year to have Kenyans participate in environment conservation activities including tree planting in line with the government’s efforts towards accelerating forest restoration and address climate change.

The Bill has also strengthened the Office of the Attorney-General (AG) to effectively discharge its constitutional functions by establishing an Advisory Board which shall perform the function of recruiting and recommending Deputy Solicitor-Generals and State Counsel in the AG's office for appointment and promotion. 

The board comprises the Attorney-General as chair, the Principal Secretary (PS) responsible for public service affairs, the PS for the National Treasury, the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Chairperson of the Council of the Institute of Human Resource Management, and the President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).

The Solicitor-General is the secretary to the board.

Other changes include exempting the National Intelligence Service (NIS) from being applicable to the Employment Act (Cap. 226) as other security organs are exempted.

Section 3(2) of the Employment Act exempts the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Police, the Kenya Prisons Service the Administration Police Force, the Kenya Coast Guard Service, and the National Youth Service.

"The justification behind the exemption was in view of national security considerations as the exempted bodies play a critical role on national security protection of the country and hence cannot participate in industrial action as provided for in the Employment Act," reads part of the Bill.

To deal with traffic offences, the Bill has amended the Traffic Act (Cap. 403) to incorporate the use of technology in the management of minor traffic offences.

It will also enhance penalties for the offences under sections 117(8), 117(9)(a) and 117(10) relating to failure to attend court upon service of notification to so attend, and removal or defacing of a notification affixed to a motor vehicle.