The Prisons (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (National Assembly Bills No. 54) Of 2023
The principal object of this Bill is to amend the Prisons Act, Cap 90 Laws of Kenya in order to abolish the death penalty and the manner of its execution. The objectives of the Bill are to preserve the fundamental right to life, to put an end to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment of condemned persons occasioned by the enforcement of the death penalty. Further,it seeks to stop the psychological trauma brought about by the death sentence and to reflect…
From the Bill’s Memorandum of Objects and Reasons (OCR extract).
Legislative progress
Introduced / Published: 1 Sep 2023
- ○ First Reading
- ○ Second Reading
- ○ Committee of the Whole House
- ○ Third Reading
- ○ Presidential Assent
Outcome: Lapsed
Current status: [Bills Tracker NA Bill No. 54 of 2023] 1/9/2023 | 14/09/2023 | 152 | 3/10/2023 | Bill lapsed at the end of the Fourth Session (2025) pursuant to Standing Order 141(2). Speaker’s Communication No.1 of 2026
Stage dates are back-filled from publication records and Hansard, and refined by editors. Some dates may be approximate or not yet recorded.
Sponsor
United Democratic Alliance · Kikuyu Constituency
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Notes
Source: https://www.parliament.go.ke/sites/default/files/2023-09/THE%20PRISONS%20%28AMENDMENT%29%20BILL%2C%202023%20%28NATIONAL%20ASSEMBLY%20BILLS%20NO.%2054%29.pdf
The Bill (PDF)
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Original document, hosted by Mzalendo. Source: parliament.go.ke.
Bill text
Read the Bill (OCR extract)
SPECIALISSUE
Kenya Gazette Supplement No.152(National Assembly Bills No.54)
REPUBLIC OFKENYA
KENYA GAZETTE SUPPLEMENT
NATIONALASSEMBLYBILLS,2023
NAIROBI,1stSeptember,2023
CONTENT
| Bill for Introduction into the National Assembly | PAGE | |----------------------------------------------------|--------| | The Prisons (Amendment) Bill,2023 | 1579 |
PRINTEDANDPUBLISHEDBYTHEGOVERNMENTPRINTER.NAIROBi
MEMORANDUM OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
The principal object of this Bill is to amend the Prisons Act, Cap 90 Laws of Kenya in order to abolish the death penalty and the manner of its execution.
The objectives of the Bill are to preserve the fundamental right to life, to put an end to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment of condemned persons occasioned by the enforcement of the death penalty.
Further,it seeks to stop the psychological trauma brought about by the death sentence and to reflect Kenya's international commitment to the abolition of the death penalty through ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Bill proposes to repeal section 69 of the Prisons Act that contains provisions regulating the manner of execution of persons sentenced to death.
Statement on the delegation of legislative powers and limitation of fundamental rights and freedoms
The Bill does not delegate legislative powers nor limit fundamental rights and freedoms.
Statement as to whether the Bill concerns county governments
This is not a Bill concerning county governments in terms of Article 110(l) (a) of the Constitution as it does not contain provisions affecting the functions and powers of the county governments set out in the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution.
Statement as to whether the Bill is a money Bill within the meaning of Article 114 of the Constitution
The Bill is not a money Bill for the purposes of Article 114 of the Constitution as the enactment of this Bill shall not occasion additional expenditure of public funds.
Dated the31stMay,2023
J.OPIYOWANDAYI, The Leader of Minority Party.
Section 69of Cap90 LawsofKenya which it isproposed to amend-
69. Manner of execution of persons sentenced to death
When any person is sentenced to death,he shall be hanged by the neck until he is dead and the sentence shall be carried out in such manner as the Commissioner shall direct.
Machine-extracted text (Docling (OCR + layout), extracted 2 Jul 2026) from a scanned document — may contain recognition errors.
Source: parliament.go.ke (parliament.go.ke active listing). Last updated 3 Jul 2026.