The Kenyan Citizenship And Immigration (Amendment) Bill, 2025

SPECIALISSUE

Kenya GazetteSupplement No.199 (National Assembly Bills No.53)

REPUBLIC OFKENYA

KENYA GAZETTE SUPPLEMENT

NATIONALASSEMBLYBILLS,2025

NAIROBI,21stNovember,2025

CONTENT

| Bill for Introduction into the National Assembly- | PAGE | |------------------------------------------------------------------|--------| | The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration(Amendment) Bill, 2025 1239 | |

THE KENYA CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT)BILL,2025

A Bill for

AN ACT of Parliament to amend the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act

ENACTED by theParliamentofKenya,asfollows-

• 1.This Act may be cited as the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration(Amendment)Act,2025.
• 2.The Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act is amended by deleting section 15 and substituting therefor the followingnew section-
• Stateless persons. 15. (1) A person who does not have an enforceable claim to the citizenship of any recognized state and has had habitual residence in Kenya since 12th December, 1963,shall be deemed to have been lawfully resident and may, on application, in the registered as a citizen of Kenya if that
• prescribed manner be eligible tobe person
• (a) is able to understand and communicate in Kiswahili,a local dialect,or other communication formats and technologies available to persons with disabilities;
• (b) has not been convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of three years or longer during the person's stay in Kenya; and
• () understands the rights and duties of a
• citizen.
• Secretary shall maintain a register of registered stateless
• (2)The Cabinet persons living in Kenya.
• 3.Section 16oftheKenya Citizenship and Immigration Act is amended by deleting subsection (2).

Short title.

Repeal and section 15 of Cap.

replacement of 170.

Amendment of section 16of

Cap.170.

MEMORANDUM OFOBJECTSAND REASONS

The principal object of the Bill is to amend the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act,Cap.170 toremove the time limit for application for citizenship by stateless persons and migrants.

Clause 1 of the Bill provides for the short title.

Clause 2 of the Bill provides for the amendment of section 15 of the principal Act to remove the limitation of time for application of citizenship by stateless persons and to include the requirement that a stateless person have been habitually resident in Kenya since 12th December 1963.

Clause 3 of the Bill provides for the amendment of section 16of the

principal Act to remove the limitation of time for application of citizenship by migrants.

Statement on the delegation of legislative powers and limitation of

fundamental rights and freedoms

The Bill does not delegate legislative powers to the Cabinet

Secretary and does not limit any fundamental rights and fundamental freedoms.

Statement that the Bill does not concern County Governments

The Bill relates to immigration and citizenship which is a function of the National Government under Section 3 of Part 1 of the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution. It is therefore not a Bill concerning County

Governments.

Statement that the Bill is not money Bill within the meaning of

Article 114 of the Constitution

The enactment of this Bill will not occasion additional expenditure

of public funds.

Dated the 19th November,2025.