No farting in public and other bills in Kenya

The devolution powers granted to the 47 counties in 2013 exposed an oddity in the minds of the executives and Members of the County Assemblies during their bill proposals.

In November 2013, Kiambu County made headlines when former Governor William Kabogo proposed a Finance Bill that included a tax for the deceased. The 70-page bill also featured a tax for the disposal of livestock and pet carcasses.

To conduct a burial in Kiambu, the bill demanded that the bereaved pay a tax of Sh4,500 for an adult, Sh3,000 for a child, and Sh2,500 for an infant. The bill stated, "For families to bury their relatives in cemeteries within the county, they must pay Sh8,000 for a permanent grave."

Families of individuals who passed away in other counties but were to be buried in Kiambu were required to pay a Sh10,000 burial fee.

"To ensure that the county can fund its Sh12.6 billion budget, Kabogo said non-residents would be required to pay Sh25,000 for burying their loved ones in Kiambu."

Furthermore, the bill proposed that families should pay Sh30,000 for maintenance work in the cemeteries. In the event of exhumation, the bill suggested that families pay Sh15,000 for an adult, Sh10,000 for a child, and Sh5,000 for an infant.

Sh4,000 for every deceased cow, pig, donkey, or horse

Farmers were not exempted and were mandated to pay Sh4,000 for every deceased cow, pig, donkey, or horse, and Sh400 for chickens and cats before the county government could collect the carcasses. The bill also mentioned, "Every household will be charged Sh20 for slaughtering a chicken, Sh150 for a goat, and Sh400 for a cow."

The proposal sparked protests on October 31, 2013, and a court case against Kabogo was filed on November 8, 2013.

During the debate on November 14, 2013, Simona MCA Mutonya Njenga expressed that it was inhumane to charge mourning families. After a two-hour debate, the assembly rejected the bill, accusing Kabogo of drafting it without public participation, as recommended by the constitution.

In August 2013, a bill targeting women who used boda bodas as a means of transport was also rejected at Kisumu's county assembly.

Former Kisumu North MCA Carolyne Owen proposed a motion in the assembly to impose fines on women for sitting inappropriately on boda bodas.

According to Owen, women should sit with their legs together, facing sideways on the boda boda, rather than sitting with their legs apart and facing forward. She accused women in Kisumu of indecency and lack of cultural manners, implying that their sitting posture could be tempting to boda boda riders.

In 2019, a bill presented by then Kisumu County Health CEC, Dr. Ojwang Lusi, was passed. The bill came into existence following reports of fishermen in the area using mosquito nets for fishing, which frustrated the county health department's efforts to combat malaria cases.

The law placed restrictions on the mesh sizes and types of nets that could be used for fishing, effectively putting an end to the use of mosquito nets for this purpose.

In a separate development in August 2018, the County Government of Lamu implemented a ban on vehicles and motorbikes accessing the Old Town area. Instead, residents were encouraged to use donkeys as a means of transportation. This directive was enacted after the assembly passed a law that only allowed ambulances, a fire engine, and a municipal tractor to enter the Old Town, thus promoting the use of donkeys as a sustainable mode of transport.

No motorcycles allowed

The act stated, "Only three motorcycles, belonging to the county government, Kenya Power, and the Lamu Water Management Authority, will have access to the town."

Lamu Governor Issa Timamy said the act would help preserve the historic town, which holds the distinction of being listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

On August 19, 2013, former Makueni Majority Leader Francis Mutuku introduced a bill proposing the allocation of 10 per cent of the county's resources to the church. Mutuku said according to scripture, 10 per cent of all collections should be contributed as tithe to churches. The status of the bill remains unknown.

In 2014, an MCA in Mombasa proposed a bill that sought to have residents arrested for farting in public. The MCA aimed to declare public farting as illegal. However, the bill faced strong opposition and was dismissed.

“The process of evidence collection would be an extremely uncomfortable affair,” recorded the assembly.