President William Ruto has signed into law two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing funding to county governments and strengthening governance and administration in county assemblies.
The President assented to the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2026, and the County Assembly Services (Amendment) Bill, 2023, at Eldoret State Lodge in Uasin Gishu County.
The additional allocations law raises funding to counties from Sh70.67 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year to Sh71.09 billion in 2026/2027, representing an increase of Sh425.6 million.
The funds will be drawn from the National Government’s share of revenue, statutory entitlements, loans and grants from development partners.
They are intended to support key programmes, including healthcare, agriculture, climate change resilience, drought response, water and sanitation.
Explaining the rationale behind the legislation, Ruto said the government was committed to strengthening devolution and improving public services.
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“Our goal is to strengthen devolution, improve service delivery and ensure county governments have the resources necessary to fulfil their responsibilities and improve the lives of Kenyans,” the President said.
The increase comes as county governments continue to shoulder responsibilities in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and local water services.
Additional allocations provide funding beyond the ordinary revenue-sharing transfers, helping counties finance specific programmes and development priorities.
However, the increase of Sh425.6 million across the national allocation does not mean every county will receive the same amount.
The distribution depends on the applicable allocation framework and the purposes for which the funds are provided.
The second law, the County Assembly Services (Amendment) Bill, 2023, focuses on the administration of county assemblies and the management of their personnel.
It establishes clear procedures for the removal of County Assembly Service Board members and the suspension or removal of county assembly clerks. It also provides safeguards for the rights and benefits of staff serving on secondment.
County Assembly Service Boards play a central role in managing assembly administration, including staffing and institutional operations, while clerks support legislative business and the day-to-day running of the assemblies.
By setting out procedures for removing board members and clerks, the amendment seeks to provide a clearer framework for handling disciplinary and administrative decisions.
Such procedures are important because they define how decisions are made and help ensure that officeholders are not removed arbitrarily.
The provisions on seconded staff also address employment protections for personnel temporarily assigned to county assemblies from other public institutions.
Safeguarding their rights and benefits helps clarify their position while serving outside their parent institutions.
Announcing the signing, Ruto said the amendment would strengthen county assembly governance and administration while protecting staff serving on secondment.