President William Ruto has assented to the Persons with Disabilities Bill 2025, describing it as a progressive law that guarantees the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to education, employment, healthcare, political participation, and access to buildings and public spaces.
The President noted that persons living with disabilities face many challenges deeply rooted in structural, social, political, and cultural systems. They include institutional and attitudinal barriers that result in exclusion and unequal access to opportunities.
He said the assent to the Bill marks the start of an important journey in promoting and safeguarding the rights of citizens with disabilities.
“This law is both comprehensive in scope and progressive in vision,” he said.
Speaking at State House Nairobi on Thursday, President Ruto also signed into law the County Governments Additional Allocation Bill 2025, which provides more funding to counties to promote equitable resource distribution and enhance service delivery.
Present at the ceremony were National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, and Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot.
The President emphasised that the Persons with Disabilities Act establishes stronger enforcement mechanisms, clearer accountability, and enhanced representation of persons with disabilities at the National and County governance structures.
He added that the new framework includes a restructured National Council for Persons with Disability, devolution of functions relating to persons with disabilities, and formal recognition and support for caregivers.
It also ensures greater access to justice, improved legal frameworks concerning PWDs, and robust economic safeguards.
“These include exemptions and incentives for the benefit of PWDs to foster greater economic and financial resilience and to mitigate vulnerability,” he said.
President Ruto called for collective action from all stakeholders, including National and County governments, legislators, civil society, the private sector, and all Kenyans of goodwill.
“I assure you that the government is fully committed to translating the provisions of this law into tangible improvements in the lives and welfare of persons with disabilities,” he said.
The President directed the Public Service Performance Management Unit at the Public Service Commission to reinstate the Disability Mainstreaming Performance Indicator in staff contracts.
He said this will strengthen PWDs inclusion in the public sector.
“The indicator is crucial in evaluating and holding institutions accountable for their inclusivity, making disability mainstreaming a measurable and essential component of institutional performance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2025 provides for more funding to county governments for the financial year 2024/2025.
The Bill provides conditional funding of KSh8.4 billion from the National Government’s share of revenue, an additional unconditional allocation of KSh116 million from proceeds of court fines and an additional conditional allocation of KSh42 billion from development partners for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The new law also provides that county allocations will be transferred according to a schedule gazetted by the Treasury Cabinet Secretary.
It stipulates that loan or grant allocations from development partners require a written agreement before inclusion in budgets.
The Act also requires the Cabinet Secretary to publish monthly transfer reports by the 15th day of each subsequent month, while county treasuries must record and report all conditional allocations in their financial statements.
