President Ruto Signs into law 3-Key Pieces of Legislation

President William Ruto has signed into law three key pieces of legislation aimed at reforming the coffee sector, strengthening weather services, and expanding funding for railway infrastructure.

The President assented to the Coffee (Amendment) Bill, the Meteorology Bill, and the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies (Amendment) Act, marking a significant step in the government’s push to improve agriculture, climate services and transport development.

The Coffee (Amendment) Bill introduces reforms intended to improve earnings for coffee farmers while streamlining the sector’s management and marketing systems. The new law seeks to reduce exploitation by middlemen, improve farmers’ access to markets, and encourage value addition within the coffee industry.

Through the updated governance and marketing rules, the reforms are expected to strengthen transparency in the coffee value chain and ensure farmers receive better returns from their produce.

At the same time, the Meteorology Bill establishes a modern legal framework for the operations of the Kenya Meteorological Department. The legislation is designed to enhance the country’s capacity in weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and data management, which are critical for sectors such as agriculture, aviation and disaster preparedness.

The law is also expected to strengthen the country’s ability to respond to climate-related risks by improving early warning systems and supporting disaster risk reduction efforts.

Meanwhile, the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies (Amendment) Act introduces changes to the management and use of funds collected through the Railway Development Levy. The new law establishes a Railway Levy Development Fund and a board to manage it, while also expanding the scope of how the levy can be used. Under the revised framework, the funds will support the construction and expansion of Kenya’s railway network, which the government views as a key driver of trade, logistics and regional connectivity.

The signing of the three bills comes as the administration continues to implement legislative reforms aimed at strengthening key sectors of the economy, improving service delivery, and supporting long-term infrastructure development.