The Senate has formally invited Kenyans to participate in public hearings on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, following hours of heated debate and uproar on social media over alleged changes to presidential term limits.
In a notice issued by Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye, the House clarified that the Bill, tabled for First Reading on August 7, has since been committed to the Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights for consideration.
The Committee is now mandated to facilitate public participation before tabling a report back to the Senate.
As part of its call, the Senate has invited written memoranda from the public, which can be hand-delivered to the Office of the Clerk at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi or emailed by September 26, 2025, at 5 pm.
In addition to the memoranda, the Senate has confirmed that it will conduct public hearings in all 47 counties on dates and venues to be announced later.
The Bill and an official digest summarising its context have been uploaded to the Parliament website for public access.
“The Committee is required to take into account the views and recommendations of the public when making its report to the Senate,” Nyegenye stated in the notice.
According to the Senate, the Bill seeks to address challenges of constitutional design and governance that require reform to strengthen devolution and enhance harmony within the constitutional dispensation.
Among its key objectives, the Bill seeks to clarify the role of constitutional organs in implementing devolution, review the distinct mandates of the National Assembly and the Senate, refine the legislative process to ensure both Houses play an effective role, and secure Senate participation in the budget-making process.
The proposals also seek to eliminate overlaps in mandates between the two Houses, establish a clear order of precedence in the Senate, and provide for the origination of Bills in either House, except for those raising national revenue, which will remain the preserve of the National Assembly.
If passed, the Bill will grant both Houses full legislative authority, including consideration of allocation and appropriation Bills. It will also repeal the definition of “money Bill” and require joint submission of Bills for presidential assent by both Speakers.
The Bill further proposes the creation of a County Assembly Fund to safeguard the financial independence of county assemblies, introduce a joint procedure for handling national revenue and expenditure estimates, and give both Houses a shared mandate in approving or removing state officers and commissioners.
On Tuesday, Kenyans on social media gave mixed reactions, with some expressing frustration at the opaque process within the legislature to push the Bill through Parliament.
