Nairobi: President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law seven Bills recently passed by Parliament.
The Bills are the Court of Appeal (Organization and Administration) Act 2015, the High Court Organization and Administration Act 2015 and the Magistrates Court Act 2015.
Others are the Higher Education Loans Board (Amendment) Act 2015, the Kenya National Examination Council (Amendment) Act 2015, the Tax Procedure Act 2015 and National Government Constituencies Development Fund Act, 2015.
The High Court, Court of Appeal and Magistrates Courts Amendment Acts re-organizes the judiciary, making it more efficient and responsive to the needs of Kenyans. The amended laws, which provide the necessary legal tools for the Judiciary to fulfil its mandates, also bring to a close the legislative part of the country’s judicial reforms under the new constitution.
The Tax Procedures Act gives effect to the Excise Duty Act, consolidates laws relating to the collection of revenue and simplifies the way in which government collects revenue from Kenyans.
The Act makes the process of paying taxes more efficient and predictable, thereby easing the cost of doing business in the country.
The Higher Education Loans Board (Amendment) Act gives students the right to be notified by the Board on the status of their loan application while the Kenya National Examination Council (Amendment) Act 2015 formalizes KCPE and KCSE examination fees waiver by the Government.
The new National Government Constituencies Development Fund Act recognized the Constituency as a platform for identification, performance and implementation of National Government functions. The Act also provide for mechanisms for supplementing infrastructure development at the constituency level in matters falling within the functions of the national government.
The Act also provides for a public finance that promotes equity in society with oversight exercised by the National Assembly. The Fund will consist not less than 2.5 per cent of National Government share of revenue pursuit to section 218 of the constitution.
