Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has introduced a bill aiming to clear criminal records of reformed offenders to facilitate their reintegration into society and employment opportunities. This legislative proposal seeks to expunge records for most offenses once sentences are served, but explicitly excludes serious crimes.

• The bill, Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was presented to the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC).
• The proposal stems from a 2020 High Court decision (Ibrahim Ngohi v Directorate of Criminal Investigations) which highlighted the lack of a legal framework for expunging criminal records.
• Excluded offenses include sexual offenses (e.g., rape, defilement), capital offenses (e.g., murder, treason, robbery with violence), and potentially terrorism and serious financial crimes, based on committee recommendations.
• Committee Chair George Murugara (Tharaka) and Ruaraka MP T.J Kajwang raised concerns about aligning the bill with other legal reforms and ensuring genuine rehabilitation before expungement.
• Ol Jorok MP Michael Muchira supported the bill on the principle of preventing "double jeopardy" for reformed individuals.