President William Ruto has signed four Bills into law, introducing reforms aimed at strengthening public finance oversight, improving service delivery, streamlining aviation revenue management and modernising trust administration.
The President assented to the legislation at State House, Nairobi, with the new laws expected to improve accountability, institutional coordination and the management of public resources across both the national and county governments.
The laws include the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Act, the Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Act, the Kenya National Council for Population and Development Act and the Trust Administration Act.
Tougher accountability for public funds
The Public Finance Management (Amendment) Act introduces new measures intended to strengthen oversight of government finances while ensuring grants and allocations reach county governments more efficiently.
The law creates a standardised mechanism for tracking funds transferred under intergovernmental agreements, reducing bureaucratic delays and limiting opportunities for administrative leakages.
It also introduces penalties for accounting officers who fail to implement resolutions issued by Parliament or county assemblies based on reports from the Controller of Budget and the Auditor-General.
The provision closes a gap that previously existed in the Public Finance Management Act by making compliance with oversight recommendations legally enforceable.
Aviation revenue management
The Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Act streamlines how revenue collected from air travellers is administered and allocated to support Kenya’s aviation sector.
Passenger service charges currently stand at KSh600 for domestic flights and KSh6,500 (US$50) for international departures following revisions implemented in October 2025.
The revenue is distributed among key state agencies, including the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Kenya Meteorological Department and the Tourism Fund to support airport infrastructure, aviation safety and tourism development.
Population council gets legal backing
The Kenya National Council for Population and Development Act formally anchors the council in law after years of operating under an Executive Order.
The new legal status gives the council stronger authority to coordinate population programmes, establish standards and advise both national and county governments on demographic planning.
The council is also mandated to conduct research, publish policy recommendations and support planning on population and development issues affecting the country.
Modernising trust administration
The Trust Administration Act consolidates two longstanding laws governing trustees into a single legal framework designed to improve transparency and consistency.
The legislation merges the Trustees (Perpetual Succession) Act of 1923 and the Trustee Act of 1929, which previously governed incorporated and unincorporated trustees separately.
The new framework establishes a formal system for registering and incorporating trusts, requires disclosure and maintenance of trust information and creates a central repository for trust records.
The reforms are expected to benefit families, religious organisations and charitable institutions by providing clearer procedures for managing property held in trust while strengthening accountability in the administration of trusts across Kenya.
