Full List: 8 Bills Ruto Signed Into Law Silently After Raila’s Death
Here are eight bills signed into law by William Ruto:
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The National Land Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023
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The Land (Amendment) Bill, 2024
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The Wildlife Conservation and Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
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The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill, 2024
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The Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Bill, 2025
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The Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill (2025)
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The Privatisation Bill (date as enacted)
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The National Police Service Commission Bill (or related amendments to policing/governance laws)
Overview of all the Bills
- The Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025. The bill brings crypto trading and exchanges under regulation. It requires all crypto platforms to register, ensure transparency, and follow anti–money laundering rules to protect users from fraud.
- The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime (Amendment) Bill, 2024 expands what counts as online crimes. It allows the government to block or remove websites and apps that promote crime, terrorism, child abuse, or cult activities. It adds offences like using phone calls for scams, SIM-swap fraud, and fake online investments. Anyone who sends messages that cause fear, violence, or serious offence can be fined up to Sh20 million or jailed for up to 10 years.
- Then we have the Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Bill, 2025. It changes air travel fees — international travellers will pay USD 50, while local passengers will pay Sh600. The money collected will be shared with the Tourism Fund and the Weather Service.
- The Privatisation Bill, 2025 changes how the government sells its shares in state-owned companies. It removes Parliament’s approval in the process and gives the Treasury full control over which companies can be sold and how the sales are done.
- The National Land Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023 changes how land matters are handled. It allows the commission to review past land allocations, manage compensation for those affected by government projects, and handle land disputes. It also requires all public land records to be properly managed and updated.
- The Land (Amendment) Bill, 2024 updates land ownership and registration rules. It requires anyone buying land to confirm the seller’s identity through the digital land registry and allows land transactions to be done electronically to reduce fraud and fake titles.
- The Wildlife Conservation and Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023 focuses on protecting wildlife and compensating people affected by animal attacks.
- It increases fines for wildlife crimes and sets clear rules for compensating victims of wildlife attacks or property damage caused by animals.
- The National Police Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024 changes how police officers are managed.It gives the Inspector-General more control over recruiting, promoting, and transferring officers, while the commission will mainly handle discipline and welfare matters.
The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill, 2024
It adds new offences like SIM-swap fraud, identity theft, and phishing scams. The law gives the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee more power to investigate and take down harmful online content.
It also broadens the meaning of cyber-harassment to include messages that can cause serious emotional distress or push someone toward suicide.
While the bill aims to protect people from online fraud and abuse, some groups warn it could be used to limit free speech or invade privacy if misused.
Full Title:The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill, 2024
Proposer (Sponsor): The Bill was sponsored by the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, MP for Kikuyu Constituency.
What the Law Says — In Simple Terms
This section explains what the law does, in language for non-experts.What Is Changing
The law amends the previous Act (the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018) so that it addresses newer forms of digital wrongdoing.
It expands the definition of “access” to include the use of a program or device to get into a computer system.
It introduces or clarifies terms like “identity theft”, “asset”, “virtual account”, and “SIM card”, to reflect digital realities.
It creates new offences such as unauthorised SIM-swap (taking over someone’s mobile number without permission) and broadens phishing definitions to cover fake websites or deceptive digital content.
It gives the national cyber-committee (National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee) more power, including the ability to order websites or apps to be blocked if they promote child pornography, terrorism, or extreme cultic practices.
It expands the offence of cyber-harassment to include communications that could cause psychological harm or even drive someone to suicide.
Why These Changes Matter
These amendments reflect that technology and cyber-threats have evolved: scams, identity theft, and SIM-swaps are more common today, so the law is trying to catch up.
It gives law-enforcement and regulatory bodies more tools to act quickly online—such as blocking harmful websites and tracking cybercriminals—to protect individuals, businesses, and the public from serious harm.
How It Could Be Misused + Reasoning Behind the Law
Reasoning Behind the Law (Why Government Supports It)
The rise in digital fraud, identity theft, phishing, and SIM-swap scams has cost people money and exposed personal data. The law aims to close legal loopholes and strengthen prosecution capacity.
The spread of harmful online content (child pornography, extremist propaganda, cultic material) and national security threats (cyber-attacks, terrorism) justifies greater government power to restrict or block such content.
Expanding harassment laws to include content that can cause severe psychological distress or suicide reflects growing awareness of the impact of cyberbullying.
How It Could Be Misused / What Are the Risks
Overbroad powers: Giving authorities the ability to block content that “promotes extreme religious or cultic practices” without precise definitions could lead to censorship or restriction of legitimate expression.
Vague terms: Phrases like “grossly offensive” or “likely to cause suicide” may be subjective, leading to arbitrary enforcement or fear-based self-censorship.
Privacy concerns: The law could require telecoms and platforms to reveal subscriber data, potentially undermining data privacy if misused.
Impact on digital rights: Aggressive enforcement might discourage online participation, innovation, or activism, as platforms over-moderate to stay compliant.
Key Takeaways
If you’re a Kenyan internet user, this law means:
More online acts (phishing, SIM-swap, harassment) are now clearly defined as crimes.
Authorities have stronger powers to investigate, block sites, and act against offenders.
But it also raises concerns about freedom of expression, privacy, and potential overreach.
Be mindful of what you share, how you protect your digital identity, and what platforms you use.
If you run a digital business or website, be aware of compliance obligations—especially content moderation and cooperation with cybercrime investigations.
References / Sources:
Here’s the list of sources only, with clickable anchors and no raw URLs: