State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed has said President William Ruto has set a new precedent by releasing funds owed to county governments on time.
He said that the timely disbursement now ensures that Governors cannot attribute service delivery mishaps to delays in receiving shareable revenue.
"Setting a precedent, President Ruto released the July 2023 shareable revenue for counties on Thursday, July 27, which is four days ahead of the end of the month," Hussein said.
On Saturday, he termed it unprecedented that the National Treasury released all funds owed to county governments by June 30.
"This is why it is unprecedented! After 9 years, the National Treasury successfully complied with the law by releasing all the funds owed to the County Governments by June 30, as legally required," he said.
Last year, for instance, Hussein said there was a carryover of about Sh29 billion owed to counties from the previous financial year.
"In the past, counties were used to experiencing a two to three months delay," Hussein said.
Additionally, Hussein said the release of CDF to constituencies by June 30 this year marks the first time in 10 years that such promptness was achieved.
He said cash transfers under the social protection program were also disbursed to the vulnerable before salaries for civil servants, as promised by the President.
"Yet this is the first financial year whose budget aligns with President Ruto’s administration’s Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda," he said.
The State House spokesperson said more people-centered changes are on the way.
Ruto while in Lamu on Thursday announced that the sh32 billion shareable revenue for counties would be released the same day, which was four days ahead of the end of the month.
“I promised that there’s no way we can pay ourselves salaries before paying stipends for the vulnerable," Ruto said.
Hussein said that was a promise fulfilled.
