Anyone caught fixing or manipulating sporting competitions in Kenya now faces the prospect of jail time, hefty fines and a lifetime ban from sport or regulated gaming, after the National Assembly passed the Sports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which for the first time makes match manipulation a specific criminal offence. Sponsored by nominated MP Irene Nyakerario Mayaka, the Bill amends the Sports Act, 2013, to close what lawmakers described as a long-standing gap in Kenya’s legal framework. It creates a new offence; anyone who takes part in, directly or indirectly, or who aids, enables or assists in manipulating a sports competition,…
Author: Davin Muthoni
Lawyer Duncan Ojwang Oburu now faces the demanding task of leading the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), after the National Assembly approved his nomination as chairperson of the civilian body tasked with overseeing the police. Ojwang secured the approval after MPs adopted a report by the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, recommending him for the role. The committee found that he satisfied all the qualifications required for the position, noting specifically that he meets the standard set for appointment as a judge of the High Court. He steps into an institution…
A Nairobi lawyer has moved to the High Court to challenge the appointment and continued occupancy of the office of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Chief Executive Officer by Dr Richard Lesiyampe, arguing that the process breached constitutional and statutory requirements governing senior public appointments. In a petition filed at the High Court’s Constitutional and Human Rights Division, advocate Samwel Muiruri Mwangi contends that the appointment raises serious questions over compliance with the Constitution, the Public Service Commission Act and the regulations governing how senior public office holders are recruited. Mwangi wants the court to suspend the implementation of Lesiyampe’s appointment…
For 15 years, if you wanted to stop a government decision, a road through your land, a budget passed without your say, or a licence issued without warning, there was one route: run to court and argue that “public participation” had not happened. Indeed, the phrase “public participation” is one of the most frequently cited in Kenyan constitutional litigation, yet one of the least defined. The principle has been recognised in the Constitution since 2010. It appears in Article 10 and in provisions on budgets, legislation and county government. However, it never spelled out what public participation actually requires. How…
The High Court has temporarily blocked the extradition of three Kenyans wanted in the United States over an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud scheme, pending the outcome of an appeal against the order to hand them over. Justice Alexander Muteti suspended the earlier ruling that would have seen Peter Omari, Francis Asanyo and Elvis Obaigwa surrendered to American authorities to face trial on tax fraud charges. Lawyers Ishmael Nyaribo and Cliff Oduk, representing the trio, have seven days to file submissions challenging the extradition. Oduk’s case rests on a straightforward argument: Kenya has no extradition treaty with the US, so the men…
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to clarify its recent warning against teachers’ misuse of social media, arguing that its current wording could unfairly target teachers who simply maintain an active online presence. TSC issued the warning in a circular dated August 13, cautioning teachers against cyberbullying, harassment and other forms of unprofessional conduct online, and stating that offenders would face disciplinary action. The commission said it had observed a rise in cases involving teachers engaging in cyberbullying, intimidation, harassment and the sharing of offensive content, and reminded teachers that as public…
Workers, traders and employers who fail to pay the Housing Levy now face bank account freezes, asset seizures and PIN deactivation, after legal changes that took effect on July 1 handed the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) the enforcement powers it previously lacked to pursue defaulters. KRA has been collecting the levy, set at 1.5 per cent of gross pay or income, since July 2024, but had no legal basis to go after those who failed to remit it, leaving thousands of workers and firms to evade payment. The Finance Act 2026 closed that gap and increased the commission KRA earns…
The Senate has appealed to the Court of Appeal against a High Court finding that senators breached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s right to a fair hearing during his impeachment trial, along with the Sh50 million in constitutional damages the court ordered it to pay him. The appeal comes a month after Gachagua filed his own challenge to the same judgment, contesting most of it, including the findings that upheld his impeachment and Professor Kithure Kindiki’s succession to the office. Gachagua preserved the two findings that favoured him: the rights violation and the damages award. The Senate’s appeal, filed through…
Businesswoman Mary Wambui Mungai has lost her bid to remove the administrator Equity Bank appointed over her luxury Glee Hotel, after the High Court ruled the bank had lawfully exercised its rights as a secured creditor in a dispute over a debt whose actual figure remains contested, with Equity Bank placing the figure at Sh9.1 billion and Wambui’s side maintaining it stands at Sh7.75 billion. Justice Freda Mugambi on Thursday dismissed an application by the hotel’s management challenging the appointment of Kamal Anantroy Bhatt as administrator and seeking to restore control to its directors. The court held that Equity Bank,…
The National Assembly has passed the Public Participation Bill, 2025 (National Assembly Bill No. 44 of 2025), setting out for the first time a clear legal framework for how public participation should be conducted across Kenya’s government institutions. The Bill was approved by the House on Wednesday, August 12, and now awaits presidential assent before it can take effect as law. If signed, the law will spell out how public participation exercises are to be carried out going forward, placing the responsibility for organising them on various public entities rather than centralising the process, in a bid to avoid over-legislating…