Parliament has begun debating a proposed law that seeks to make public participation a mandatory and enforceable process, with individual officers facing hefty fines if they shut citizens out of key decisions.
The Public Participation Bill, 2025, introduced in the National Assembly, aims to ensure that Kenyans are properly informed, allowed time to share their views and given feedback before laws are made or projects rolled out.
Under the Bill, any state officer who knowingly ignores public participation requirements risks a penalty of up to Sh500,000.
The law outlines what institutions must do to make engagement fair and accessible, including issuing proper notices, using formats that people can easily understand and offering clear channels for citizens to send in their views.
To strengthen oversight, the proposal calls for the setting up of an Office of the Registrar of Public Participation to guide and unify how national and county bodies carry out public engagement.
The office will help make sure the process remains open and that all government levels follow the same standards.
Different institutions will have appointed officers responsible for ensuring public views are sought and considered.
The clerks of the two Houses will manage the exercise for Parliament, the Chief Registrar will handle participation within the Judiciary, and the Attorney General will take charge for the Office of the Attorney General.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, principal secretaries, heads of state agencies and commissions, clerks of county assemblies and county governors will all be responsible for public participation in their respective areas.
According to the Bill, those tasked with managing the process must notify the public, allow enough time for inputs and ensure that views gathered are reviewed and responded to.
“A responsible authority shall, before undertaking a public participation exercise, notify the public of the exercises...and allow a reasonable time for the public to make submissions,” the Bill states.
The proposed law also changes how Parliament handles public input on legislation. Instead of holding separate public engagements in both Houses for the same Bill, one joint process will be conducted when a law needs approval from both the National Assembly and the Senate.
The move is meant to remove overlap, cut delays and still keep the public involvement intact.
If passed, the legislation will reinforce the public’s right to be heard on matters that affect them and hold officials to account when they fail to follow the law.
It signals a push to protect public participation as a core part of Kenya’s democratic structure and ensure decisions are made with citizens at the centre.
