Ruto Signs Bills to Professionalize Social Work and Streamline Agricultural Laws

President William Ruto has enacted two significant bills focused on enhancing professional standards and unifying agricultural legislation.
The Social Work Professionals Bill, 2023, and the Pyrethrum (Repeal) Bill, 2024, officially became law on Thursday.
The Social Work Professionals Bill, introduced by Kaiti Joshua Kivinda Kimilu, establishes the Institute of Social Work Professionals and the Social Work Professionals Board to oversee standards, practice, and professional conduct within the field.
It also establishes an Examination Board to administer professional examinations and ensure that Kenyan social work credentials receive both local and international recognition.
Under this new legislation, individuals seeking to practice social work must register with the Registration Committee and fulfill the qualifications outlined in the Act, which include demonstrating good moral character and possessing a recognized certificate, diploma, or degree in social work.
The Pyrethrum (Repeal) Bill, sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, eliminates the Pyrethrum Act (Cap. 340) to address inconsistencies with the Crops Act (Cap. 318).
By transferring oversight responsibilities to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), this initiative removes bureaucratic redundancies, simplifies administrative processes, and seeks to enhance pyrethrum cultivation, expand export opportunities, and generate employment, particularly for young people involved in value-added processing.