LAWS OF KENYA

ASSUMPTION OF THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT ACT

NO. 21 OF 2012

Published by the National Council for Law Reporting

with the Authority of the Attorney-General
www.kenyalaw.org
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Assumption of the Office of President

NO. 21 OF 2012

ASSUMPTION OF THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT ACT

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
PART I – PRELIMINARY
Section
1. Short title and commencement.
2. Interpretation.
3. Application.
4. Guiding principles.
PART II – ESTABLISHMENT OF ASSUMPTION
OF THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT COMMITTEE
5. Establishment of the Assumption of the Office of President Committee.
6. Functions and powers of the Committee.
7. Sub-committees of the Committee.
8. Procedures of the Committee.
PART III – ARRANGEMENTS FOR ASSUMPTION
OF OFFICE BY THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
9. Security detail.
10. Security briefings.
11. Public officers to provide required information.
PART IV – THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY
12. Swearing-in ceremony.
13. Taking of oath and signing of certificate of inauguration.
14. Handing over of instruments of power and authority.
15. Swearing in of the Deputy President-elect.
16. Inauguration speech.
PART V – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
17. Security.
18. Succession generally.
19. Reports of the Committee.
20. Management of information and records.
21. Amendment of Cap. 110.
22. Regulations.

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NO. 21 OF 2012

ASSUMPTION OF THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT ACT

[Date of assent: 27th August, 2012.]
[Date of commencement: See Section 1.]
An Act of Parliament to provide for the procedure and ceremony for
the assumption of the Office of President by the President-elect, in
accordance with Article 141 of the Constitution and for connected
purposes
[Act No. 21 of 2012.]

PART I – PRELIMINARY
1. Short title and commencement
(1) This Act may be cited as the Assumption of the Office of President Act, 2012
and shall come into force upon the announcement of the date of the first elections
under the Constitution.
2. Interpretation
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“Cabinet Secretary” means the Cabinet Secretary for the time being
responsible for matters relating to internal security;
“certificate of inauguration” means a certificate signed by the President
upon being sworn in;
“commission” means the Independent Electoral and Boundaries
Commission established under Article 88 of the Constitution;
“committee” means the Assumption of the Office of President Committee
established under section 5;
“facilities” include an office, furniture, office machines and equipment, a
house and a vehicle;
“President-elect” means the person elected as President under Article 139
or 140 of the Constitution and who has not assumed office under Article 141(3)
of the Constitution;
“public officer” has the meaning assigned to it under Article 260 of the
Constitution.
(2) Despite subsection (1), until after the first general elections under the
Constitution, references in this Act to the expression—
(a) “Cabinet Secretary” shall be construed to mean “Minister”;
(b) “Principal Secretary” shall be construed to mean “Permanent
Secretary”; and
(c) “Secretary to the Cabinet” shall be construed to mean the “Permanent
Secretary, Secretary to the Cabinet and the Head of Public Service”.
3. Application
The provisions of this Act shall apply—
(a) to the assumption of the Office of President by a President-elect; and

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(b) with necessary modification, to the assumption of the Office of

President by the Deputy President or the Speaker of the National
Assembly under Article 146(2) of the Constitution.
4. Guiding principles
In the performance of the functions and exercise of powers under the
Constitution and this Act, the Committee shall act in accordance with Article 141
of the Constitution and be guided by the values and principles set out in Article 10
of the Constitution.
PART II – ESTABLISHMENT OF ASSUMPTION
OF THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT COMMITTEE
5. Establishment of the Assumption of the Office of President Committee
(1) There is established a committee to be known as the Assumption of the
Office of President Committee.
(2) The Committee shall be an ad hoc committee and shall consist of—
(a) the Secretary to the Cabinet who shall be the chairperson;
(b) the Attorney-General;
(c) the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to the registration of persons and immigration;
(d) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to internal security;
(e) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to finance;
(f) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to foreign affairs;
(g) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to information and communication;
(h) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry for the time being responsible
for matters relating to constitutional affairs;
(i) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to the Cabinet Office;
(j) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to local government;
(k) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating
to culture and social services;
(l) the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces;
(m) the Director-General of the National Intelligence Service;
(n) the Inspector-General of the National Police Service;
(o) the person in charge of the administration of the affairs of State House;
(p) the Clerk of the National Assembly;
(q) the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary;
(r) three persons nominated by the President-elect;
(s) the Clerk of the Senate; and
(t) the Secretary to the Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat,
appointed under the law relating to intergovernmental relations.

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(3) For the purposes of the assumption of office of the President elected during
the first general elections under the Constitution, the members of the Committee
referred to under paragraphs (s) and (t) shall not constitute the membership of the
Committee.
(4) The chairperson of the Committee shall convene the first meeting of the
Committee upon the commencement of this Act.
(5) The Principal Secretary in the Ministry responsible for matters relating to
the Cabinet Office shall be the secretary to the Committee.
(6) A vacancy in the membership of the Committee shall not affect the decisions
of the Committee.
(7) The quorum for the conduct of the business at a meeting of the Committee
shall be two thirds of all the members of the Committee.
6. Functions and powers of the Committee
(1) The functions of the Committee shall be to—
(a) facilitate the handing over process by the outgoing President to the
President-elect;
(b) organise for the security of the President-elect;
(c) organise for the necessary facilities and personnel for the President-
elect;
(d) co-ordinate the briefings of the President-elect by relevant public
officers;
(e) facilitate communication between the outgoing President and the
President-elect;
(f) prepare the programme and organise for the swearing in ceremony;
and
(g) carry out any other activity necessary for the performance of its
functions under this Act and perform any other function assigned to
it under any other written law.
(2) The Committee shall have all powers necessary for the execution of its
functions under the Constitution, this Act and any other written law.
7. Sub-committees of the Committee
(1) The Committee may from time to time, establish sub-committees for the
better carrying out of its functions under this Act.
(2) The Committee may co-opt into the membership of a sub-committee
established under subsection (1), persons whose knowledge and skills are
considered necessary for the functions of the Committee.
8. Procedures of the Committee
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the Committee may determine its
own procedure.
(2) The three Committee members nominated by the President-elect under
section 5(2)(r) may cause the chairperson to call for a meeting to consider important
matters of an urgent nature regarding the assumption of office by the President-
elect.

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PART III – ARRANGEMENTS FOR ASSUMPTION

OF OFFICE BY THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
9. Security detail
Upon the declaration of the final results of a presidential election by the
Commission under Article 138 of the Constitution and section 39 of the Elections
Act (No. 24 of 2011), the Committee shall ensure that the President-elect and
Deputy President-elect are accorded adequate security.
10. Security briefing
The Committee shall ensure that the President-elect under section 9 receives
security briefings from the respective national security organs.
11. Public officers to provide required information
(1) The President-elect shall, in consultation with the Committee, carry out such
preparations as may be necessary for the purpose of assuming office.
(2) The President-elect may, in carrying out preparations under subsection (1),
request in writing for such information from a public officer as the President-elect
may consider necessary.
(3) A public officer from whom information is requested under subsection (2)
shall provide the information within a reasonable time.
(4) A public officer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section
commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one million
shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both.
PART IV – THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY
12. Swearing -in ceremony
(1) The swearing in of the President-elect shall be conducted in a public
ceremony held in the capital city in accordance with Article 141 of the Constitution.
(2) The Committee shall publish, by notice in the Gazette, the date and place
for the conduct of the swearing-in ceremony.
(3) The day on which the President-elect is sworn in shall be a public holiday.
13. Taking of oath and signing of certificate of inauguration
(1) The President-elect shall, during the swearing in ceremony, take and
subscribe the oath or affirmation of allegiance and the oath or affirmation for
the execution of the functions of office in accordance with Article 141 of the
Constitution.
(2) The oath or affirmation under subsection (1) shall be administered to the
President-elect by the Chief Registrar before the Chief Justice, or, in the absence
of the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice, not earlier than 10.00 am and not
later than 2.00 pm, save that the Deputy Chief Justice shall undertake the task only
in circumstances where the Chief Justice is incapacitated.
(3) Upon taking or subscribing to the oath or affirmation under subsection (1),
the President shall sign a certificate of inauguration in the presence of the Chief
Justice or in the absence of the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice.
14. Handing over of instruments of power and authority
(1) Upon signing the certificate of inauguration, the outgoing President shall
hand over to the President the following instruments of power and authority—

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(a) a sword; and

(b) the Constitution.
(2) The provisions of this section shall not apply where the incumbent is re-
elected into office.
15. Swearing in of the Deputy President-elect
The Deputy President-elect shall take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation
of allegiance and oath or affirmation for the execution of the functions of office in
accordance with Article 148 of the Constitution.
16. Inauguration speech
The President shall, upon the swearing in of the Deputy President elect, give
an inauguration speech to the nation.
PART V – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
17. Security
The Inspector-General of the National Police Service shall ensure the provision
of adequate security during the conduct of the swearing in ceremony.
18. Succession generally
The day-to-day functioning of the government before and during the assumption
of office by the President-elect shall be subject to the constitutional provisions
regarding transition and succession of institutions, offices, assets and liabilities.
19. Reports of the Committee
(1) The Committee shall, within a period of one month from the date of the
swearing in of the President-elect, cause to be prepared a report on the affairs of
the Committee.
(2) The Committee shall submit to Parliament the report prepared under
subsection (1).
(3) The report shall contain, in respect to the assumption of office by the
President-elect under this Act—
`(a) the financial statements of the Committee;
(b) a description of the activities of the Committee;
(c) such other statistical information as the Committee considers
appropriate relating to its mandate; and
(d) any other information relating to its functions that the Committee
considers necessary.
(4) The Committee shall cause the report to be published in the Gazette and
in such other manner as the Committee may determine.
20. Management of information and records
(1) The Committee shall publish and publicize all important information within
its mandate affecting the nation.
(2) A request for information in the public interest by a citizen—
(a) shall be addressed to the chairperson or such other person as the
Committee may for that purpose designate;
(b) may be subject to the payment of a reasonable fee in instances where
the Committee incurs an expense in providing the information; and

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(c) may be subject to confidentiality requirements of the Committee.

(3) Subject to Article 35 of the Constitution, the Committee may decline to give
information to an applicant where—
(a) the disclosure of such information is undesirable in public interest;
(b) the information requested is at a deliberative stage by the Committee;
(c) failure of payment of the prescribed fee; or
(d) failure of the applicant to satisfy confidentiality requirements by the
Commission.
(4) The right of access to information under Article 35 of the Constitution shall
be limited to the nature and extent specified under this section.
(5) Every member and staff assigned to the Committee shall sign a
confidentiality agreement.
21. Amendment of Cap. 110
The Public Holidays Act is amended in section 2 by inserting the following new
subsection immediately after subsection (4)—
(5) The day in any year during which a President-elect is sworn in shall be a
public holiday.
22. Regulations
The Cabinet Secretary may, in consultation with the Committee, make
regulations for the better carrying into effect of the provisions of this Act.

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