President Uhuru Kenyatta Signs Into Law 2020/2021 County Revenue Allocation Bill

By Getrude Matayo

President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law the 2020/2021 County Revenue Allocation Bill. This paves way for the disbursement of exchequer funds to the counties

The president signed the bill into law this morning at State House, Nairobi which was presented to him by the Speaker of the Senate Ken Lusaka.

The new law allocates a sum of 69.87 billion shillings in the current fiscal year to Counties and includes 316.5 billion shillings of Equitable Share and 13.73 billion shillings in Government of Kenya Conditional Grants

Also included is 9.43 billion shillings from the Road Maintenance/Fuel Levy as well as 30.2 billion shillings in loans and Grants.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, Treasury CS Ukur Yattani, Leaders of Majority in the Senate and the National Assembly Samuel Poghisio and Amos Kimunya were present.

The Senate had delayed reaching a consensus on the Revenue Allocation Sharing Formula prompting the intervention of the president after the council of Governors resolved to shut down essential county services.

The conditional allocation will be utilized in the provision of services such as leasing of medical equipment and rehabilitation of youth polytechnics across all the 47 Counties.

Also present was Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, Clerks of both Houses Jeremiah Nyegenye (Senate) and Michael Sialai (National Assembly), Solicitor General Ken Ogeto, and State House Deputy Chief of Staff Njee Muturi.

Counties have been in a financial ditch and have scaled-down operations following a standoff in the Senate over the third basis for sharing revenue among counties

Senators approved the Bill on September 29 after a long tussle on how to share the revenue among the 47 counties

Yatani had already indicated that Sh60 billion was ready for disbursement to the counties once all the legislations are in place.

The Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o said the counties, except three which have not submitted their budgets, are free to access the cash once the enabling laws are passed.