President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday signed into law six parliamentary bills, including Sustainable Water Management Bill, Irrigation (Amendment) and the Children Bill.
Others included the Asset Disposal (Amendment) Bill as well as Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, Public Procurement Bill, all of 2021.
The new Sustainable Waste Management Act establishes a robust legal and institutional framework for the sustainable management of waste.
"This is to ensure the realisation of the constitutional requirement on the right to a clean and healthy environment," Uhuru said.
The aim is to establish the Waste Management Council whose mandate includes overseeing implementation of the national sustainable waste management strategy.
He also signed into law the Community Groups Registration Act which establishes a framework for the registration and regulation of community groups on matters such as amalgamations and mergers.
The amended Children Act gives effect to Article 53 of the Constitution by among other reforms, heralding the concept of 'best-interest of the child' as the paramount consideration in decisions concerning children.
Furthermore, the new Children Act regarding parental responsibility contains progressive provisions on the protection and care of children such as prioritization of family-based care through: fostering, adoption, custody, maintenance, guardianship, kinship care and kafaalah among others.
The law therefore largely shifts the burden of child care to the state and the community, leaving room for the establishment of statutory childcare institutions by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for child-related affairs.
