Counties to get extra Sh46 billion in new Act signed by President Ruto

Source: Capital FM Kenya
Author: Phidel Kizito

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 4 - President William Ruto has assented to the county government's Additional Allocations Bill, providing an extra Sh46 billion to devolved units.

The Bill (now ACT) was sponsored by Senate's Budget and Finance Committee chairman Ali Roba and now paves the way for the counties to receive additional funding from the national government.

President William Ruto, during the signing of the Bill into law in State House Nairobi, maintained that the national government is keen on supporting the devolved units, assuring that his administration will endeavor to ensure an equitable distribution of resources between the two levels of government.

"I am very happy that now we have resources that will support our counties. Close to 29-billion-shilling will be made available by this piece of legislation that has now become law. It will support our counties to discharge their mandate assigned to them by the constitution," said the President.

The devolved units and the national government have been locked in a row, with counties blaming the national government for starving them of resources.

In February, the Council of Governors (COG) told the Senate Finance Committee that they needed Sh450 billion as an equitable share as opposed to Sh391 billion proposed by the National Treasury in the Division of Revenue between the national and county governments.

The Head of State, in a bid to resolve the issue, has revealed that the national government will release additional funds in the next two weeks.