Uhuru signs Bill to disburse Sh190b to counties

By PSCU

NAIROBI, KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2013.

The President signed the bill on Friday at State House, Nairobi.

The Act provides for equitable share of revenue allocated to counties for the 2013/14 Financial Year according to the resolution in force under article 217 of the Constitution.

The Bill will facilitate the transfer of allocations made to the counties from the Consolidated Fund to the respective County Revenue Funds.

The total amount of shareable revenue among counties for the 2013-2014 Financial Year is Sh190 billion.

The allocation was based on an approved formula comprising five parameters namely; population, basic equal share, poverty levels, land area and fiscal responsibility.

President Uhuru described the signing of the Bill as historic saying it is the first Senate bill to be signed under the new constitution.

Speaker of Senate Mr. Ekwe Ethuro, Clerk to the Senate Mr. Jeremiah Nyegenye and Attorney-General Prof. Githu Muigai witnessed the signing of the Bill.

The President said signing of the Bill had to be fast-tracked in order to enable governors to speedily implement their programmes and deliver services to the people.

He assured the Speaker of the Senate of Government’s readiness to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of devolution.

“I am excited and look forward to working together with all stakeholders to ensure devolution works,” the President said.

He added: “Mr. Speaker, you can count on our continued co-operation with the Senate in the process of implementing devolution.”