President William Ruto unveiled the stamp‑duty exemption proposal during the 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on 20 October 2026.

The exemption would remove the current 4 % municipal and 2 % non‑municipal stamp‑duty rates for land transactions priced at KSh 1 million or below, potentially saving buyers between KSh 20,000 and KSh 40,000 per deal.

Ruto said the measure targets ordinary citizens who struggle with the extra cost of formalising land ownership, especially those at the lower end of the income scale.

The exemption is not yet law; the president directed the National Treasury to table the full set of proposals, including progressive rates for higher‑value transactions, before Parliament within a week.

If Parliament approves the plan, eligible buyers could benefit immediately from reduced transaction costs, while deals above KSh 1 million would continue to be subject to the existing rates.

The stamp‑duty waiver forms part of a broader tax‑relief package announced by the Ruto administration, which also includes raising the PAYE tax‑free threshold and scrapping a 25 % import tax on mobile phones.