Presidential assent and referral
The President has fourteen days to assent to a Bill or return it to Parliament with reservations. Parliament may amend it or pass it again, by two-thirds if not fully accommodating them. If the President does neither in time, assent is presumed.
The official text
(1) Within fourteen days after receipt of a Bill, the President shall—
(a) assent to the Bill; or
(b) refer the Bill back to Parliament for reconsideration by Parliament, noting any reservations that the President has concerning the Bill.
(2) If the President refers a Bill back for reconsideration, Parliament may, following the appropriate procedures under this Part—
(a) amend the Bill in light of the President’s reservations; or
(b) pass the Bill a second time without amendment.
(3) If Parliament amends the Bill fully accommodating the President’s reservations, the appropriate Speaker shall re-submit it to the President for assent.
(4) Parliament, after considering the President’s reservations, may pass the Bill a second time, without amendment, or with amendments that do not fully accommodate the President’s reservations, by a vote supported—
(a) by two-thirds of members of the National Assembly; and
(b) two-thirds of the delegations in the Senate, if it is a Bill that requires the approval of the Senate.
(5) If Parliament has passed a Bill under clause (4)—
(a) the appropriate Speaker shall within seven days re-submit it to the President; and
(b) the President shall within seven days assent to the Bill.
(6) If the President does not assent to a Bill or refer it back within the period prescribed in clause (1), or assent to it under clause (5)(b), the Bill shall be taken to have been assented to on the expiry of that period.
Summaries and answers are a plain-English guide written by Iam254, not legal advice. The official text is what counts. Official text: Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Kenya Law (National Council for Law Reporting), legislation as at 3 September 2010. It has not been amended since.