KENYA : Mwaura Retracts Statement on Public Seal Custody, Says It’s With Attorney General

     By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has revised his earlier remarks concerning the official custodian of Kenya’s Public Seal, now affirming that it remains with the Attorney General’s office.

On Monday, Mwaura had told journalists that the Seal was under the custody of the Head of Public Service (HOPS), claiming the transfer had been legally executed.

However, in a Thursday briefing, he reversed that position, referencing Article 9 of the Kenyan Constitution which designates the Attorney General as the Seal’s rightful custodian.

He explained that a proposed amendment in the National Administration Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023  which aimed to move the Seal to the HOPS  was rejected in Parliament, meaning the AG retains full authority over it.

“That proposal never passed,” Mwaura clarified. “Any previous suggestion was based on misinformation, which we now correct.”

The Seal, a significant national symbol, appears in the Second Schedule of the Constitution and is attached to vital government documents to confirm their legitimacy.

It includes the Kenyan coat of arms, flanked by two lions wielding spears and a traditional shield  elements symbolizing national unity and protection.

Mwaura emphasized that this clarification does not undermine the constitutional role of the Attorney General, who continues to serve as the President’s main legal advisor.

The spokesperson’s updated statement comes in the wake of media reports suggesting President William Ruto had discreetly reassigned the Seal’s custody last year  claims dismissed by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo as false.

“There’s no constitutional or legal framework that permits such a transfer,” Amollo stated, adding that efforts to legally authorize the shift had already been struck down in Parliament.

The Public Seal remains a powerful emblem of state authority, rooted firmly in Kenya’s supreme law.