President William Ruto has assented to the Meteorology Bill 2023.
The Head of State signed the bill on Friday, March 13, during a ceremony at State House, Nairobi.
The Meteorology Bill 2023, which was sponsored by the Majority Leader of the Senate, Aaron Cheruiyot, establishes a legislative framework for the regulation, coordination, and monitoring of meteorological services.
While highlighting the bill, Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye said it will establish the Kenya Meteorological Services Authority.
He noted that the new authority will replace the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), which is currently under the Ministry of Environment.
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“The bill will establish an authority, the Kenya Meteorological Services Authority, which will be the successor of the Kenya Meteorological Department, which has operated under executive order under various ministries,” said Nyegenye.
The Senate Clerk also mentioned that the new law will enable the country to comply with international obligations in relation to meteorology.
At the same time, President Ruto assented to the Miscellaneous Fees and Amendment Act, which was sponsored by the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, Kimani Ichung’wah.
The bill creates a Railway Levy Development Fund, a board to manage the fund, and expands the scope of the funds that are collected under the Railway Development Levy to be used in the construction and expansion of the railway network.
Further, President Ruto signed the Coffee Bill 2023, which is intended to revolutionize the coffee industry in Kenya.
The bill removes the function of promotion, production, development, and marketing of coffee from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to the new entity called the Coffee Board.
This comes days after President Ruto signed the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) Bill 2026 into law.
Ruto assented to the bill on Monday, March 9, during a ceremony at State House, Nairobi.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Samuel Njoroge, said the bill is a product of public participation.
The National Assembly Clerk explained that the new law aims to mobilize capital from non-traditional sources.
Njoroge also noted that the bill is intended to reduce overreliance on public debt and taxation in funding infrastructure projects.
“This bill is intended to mobilize private capital from non-traditional sources of infrastructure finance. It is also intended to reduce the over-reliance on public debt and taxation to finance capital and corporate infrastructure projects,” he stated.
He highlighted that the bill clearly defines the projects that NIF will fund; these include national highways, expressways, railways, seaports, and airports.
Njoroge further said the NIF Act has created two entities, a governing council and a board, which will ensure the fund works seamlessly.
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