Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader Peter Imwatok/FILEMembers of the County Assembly (MCAs) have commended President William Ruto for signing into law the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023, which now paves the way for county assemblies to control their own funds.
Led by Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader Peter Imwatok, the MCAs hailed the move as a major step forward in strengthening devolution, noting that financial autonomy from county governors was long overdue.
“I want to commend President William Ruto for this bold and commendable gesture. It is something worth celebrating and marks a significant milestone in the journey of devolution. Our oversight role, as provided for under Articles 185 and 196 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, has been clear, but executing it effectively was difficult because we were at the mercy of the county executive for the release of funds,” said Imwatok in a statement.
The new law allows county assemblies to directly access part of the funds from County Revenue Accounts, thereby ensuring financial independence from governors.
“Governors must now prepare for real oversight—no mercy, no blackmail. We shall do our job,” he added.
However, the MCAs also criticised the Senate for taking too long to pass the legislation.
“We have suffered for far too long. Our leaders in the Senate delayed this important law, but we are grateful to President Ruto for standing as a true champion of devolution,” Imwatok said.
On August 13, 2025, Ruto signed into law the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2025 and the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
This significantly increases the equitable share of national revenue to counties from Sh387.4 billion to Sh415 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year.
The signing ceremony took place at the State Lodge in Homa Bay County, where the Head of State emphasised his administration's commitment to strengthening devolution and improving grassroots service delivery.
The County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, sponsored by Senator Kathuri Murungi, introduces key amendments to the Public Finance Management Act, notably establishing a County Assembly Fund in each of the 47 counties.
This fund is expected to enhance the financial independence of county assemblies and improve the legislative oversight function at the devolved level.
The County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2025, sponsored by the Senate Finance and Budget Committee, outlines how the Sh415 billion will be distributed among Kenya’s 47 counties based on the revenue-sharing formula approved by Parliament.
