24/06/2026
Major Victory for Kenya’s Deaf Community
The National Assembly has passed the Kenyan Sign Language Bill, 2023 (Senate Bill No. 9 of 2023) with amendments, marking a major step toward strengthening rights and accessibility for Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind persons.
The Bill, sponsored by Hon. Millie Odhiambo-Mabona and Hon. Umulkher Harun, seeks to promote the use of Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) in schools, courts, media houses, public institutions, and telecommunication services.
Key provisions include:
✅ Creation of the Kenya Sign Language Council to regulate and promote KSL and register professional interpreters.
✅ Integration of KSL into school curricula and free interpretation services in public higher learning institutions.
✅ Sign language lessons for parents and guardians of Deaf children.
✅ TV stations to provide closed captioning and KSL interpretation during news, educational programmes, and national events.
✅ Internet videos to include captions/transcripts and telecom providers to establish relay communication services.
The Bill's Council will include representatives from Government, the Deaf community, sign language interpreters, and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities.