Hope at last as President Ruto signs Conflict of Interest Bill into law
4:08:2025: In a landmark move to strengthen the country’s anti-corruption framework, President William Ruto has signed the long-awaited Conflict of Interest Bill into law at State House, Nairobi.
The new legislation is expected to significantly curb the abuse of power and misuse of public resources by public officers.
Speaking last week during the signing ceremony, the President described the moment as “consequential” for Kenya, noting that the law sets clear standards to ensure public officials uphold integrity, transparency, and accountability in the discharge of their duties.
“This is a very consequential moment in Kenya. We are making it much more difficult for people to take advantage of the offices they occupy,” the President said.
He emphasized that the new law empowers citizens to hold public officers accountable and enhances oversight by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which will supervise the law’s implementation. The EACC’s oversight will now extend beyond the Executive to include the Legislature and Judiciary, particularly on matters of wealth declaration.
“To the EACC, you now have levers to make sure that you protect the resources of the Republic of Kenya and hold every officer to account,” President Ruto stated.
The principal objective of the Conflict of Interest Act is to consolidate all legislation related to conflict of interest, repealing the Public Officer Ethics Act. It establishes a comprehensive framework for identifying and managing conflicts in public service under EACC’s general supervision.
The law prohibits preferential treatment, restricts undue external influence in public contracts, and limits secondary employment that may undermine official responsibilities or create a conflict of interest.
President Ruto had earlier referred the Bill back to Parliament with reservations in April 2025. Both the National Assembly and the Senate later adopted the President’s proposals, passing the Bill on June 3 and July 23, 2025, respectively.
The signing ceremony was attended by top government officials, including EACC Chairperson Dr. David Oginde, CEO Mr. Abdi Mohamud, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor, and Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, among other senior state officers.
