President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday signed into law the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill.
The Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2020 amends 21 statutes among them the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, Records Disposal Act, Penal Code, Public Holidays Act and Firearms Act.
With the new Act, the state, Interior Cabinet Secretary, in particular, has powers to access mobile phone data and listen to conversations of persons suspected of being spies of foreign powers or suspected of terrorism.
The state will, however, have to secure a court warrant first before having access to such records.
President Uhuru also signed into law the new Sectional Properties Act, 2019 provides for the division of buildings into units to be owned by individual proprietors among other elaborate provisions. It repeals the Sectional Properties Act of 1987.
Other laws amended by the new law are the Official Secrets Act, Kenya Roads Board Act, Statistics Act, Employment Act, Accountants Act, Judicial Service Act, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Act, Employment and Labour Relations Court Act, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Act, and National Police Service Commission Act.
Also amended are the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, Universities Act, Kenya Law Reform Commission Act, Investment and Financial Analysts Act, Witness Protection Act and Kenya Coast Guard Act.
