President William Ruto took a significant step on Monday by signing the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2023 into law. This move is set to provide a substantial boost to counties, with an additional Ksh.46.3 billion allocated for the Financial Year 2023/2024.

The signing ceremony, held at State House Nairobi, saw the presence of prominent figures including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Speakers Moses Wetangula (National Assembly), and Amason Kingi (Senate), along with Council of Governors chairperson Anne Waiguru. Additionally, majority leaders Arron Cheruiyot (Senate) and Kimani Ichungwah (National Assembly), as well as Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, were among those in attendance.

President Ruto emphasized that this move underscores the commitment to ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of resources across counties, fostering an environment where local governments can effectively fulfill their responsibilities to citizens.

Expressing his satisfaction with the development, President Ruto remarked, “I’m pleased that we now have the resources to support our counties in fulfilling their mandates.”

Of the total allocation, Ksh.5 billion is earmarked for the Fertilizer Subsidy Program, aimed at supporting farmers by providing subsidized fertilizer. Additionally, Kshs.4.5 billion will be allocated to 18 counties under the County Aggregated Industrial Parks Programme, with each county receiving Ksh.250 million. Notable beneficiaries include Bungoma, Busia, Embu, Garissa, Homa Bay, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Murang’a, Nakuru, Nandi, Nyamira, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, and Uasin Gishu.

Furthermore, Ksh.454 million has been set aside for the construction of county headquarters offices, benefiting counties such as Isiolo, Lamu, Tana River, Tharaka Nithi, and Nyandarua.

In addition to these allocations, Kshs. 29 billion will be dedicated to conditional allocations, derived from loans and grants from development partners.