Senate calls for public input on Social Protection Bill 2025

By , May 22, 2025

The Kenyan Senate has invited members of the public to submit their views on the Social Protection Bill, 2025 (National Assembly Bills No. 12 of 2025).

The bill, which was read for the first time in the Senate on 13 May 2025, is currently under review by the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare.

According to a public notice from the Clerk of the Senate, J.M. Nyegenye, the committee is required by law to allow public participation. This is in line with Article 118 of the Constitution and Senate Standing Order 145(5). The public is encouraged to send written memoranda expressing their opinions, suggestions, or concerns about the bill.

Deadline for submission

Written memoranda must be submitted by Thursday, 5 June 2025, at 5.00 pm, and members of the public can deliver their submissions to the Office of the Clerk of the Senate at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi.

Public hearing

In addition to written submissions, the committee will also hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 11:00 am. The hearing will take place at the Mini Chamber, First Floor, County Hall, Parliament Buildings, Nairobi. All interested members of the public are welcome to attend.

What is the Social Protection Bill about?

The Social Protection Bill, 2025, aims to strengthen Kenya’s support systems for vulnerable people. It proposes the creation of a clear legal framework to guide non-contributory social protection programmes. These are programmes where beneficiaries do not need to pay into the system to receive help.

The bill seeks to:

  • Establish the National Board for Social Protection, which will coordinate all social protection efforts in the country.
  • Support poor and vulnerable individuals and families through cash transfers and other forms of assistance.
  • Help citizens prepare for and recover from risks and crises such as loss of income, illness, or natural disasters.
  • Promote the well-being and dignity of people in need.

The bill also focuses on building people’s abilities to support themselves over time. This helps in reducing long-term dependence on aid. Before moving to the Senate, the bill was first introduced to the National Assembly by the Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.

“The principal object of the bill is to reduce poverty and vulnerability and improve the well-being of people by providing assistance, services, and programmes that build human capital and cushion people against risks and contingencies throughout their cycles,” Ichung’wah said in the bill’s explainer.

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