More Funds for Governors as MPs Allocate additional Ksh 3B to Counties

Counties to receive Ksh 287 billion after the National Assembly approved an additional Ksh 3.3 billion following recommendations of a mediation committee.

The National Assembly approved the mediated version of the Division of Revenue Bill that increases funds to the counties by 3.3 billion shillings.

However, MPs have slashed the 1 billion shillings that had been allocated to the Senate for oversight roles, as well as 1.3 billion shillings from Treasury and 800,000 shillings that had been allocated to the Judiciary.

At the same time, MPs have approved the withdrawal of 50.4 billion shillings from the consolidated fund to cater for the expenditure in Parliament, the Judiciary and the executive until the end of this financial year.

Counties will now get a total of 286.9 billion shillings in the next financial year after this new approval as proposed in the mediated version of the Division of Revenue Bill.

The approval now means level five hospitals will be given 1.5 billion shillings and 1.7 billion shillings will cater for human resource in counties.

The mediation team was led by Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair Mutava Musyimi.

MPs supported the move by the mediation team which comprised of 3 mps and 3 senators but the senate was denied 1 billion shillings that had been set aside for oversight roles.

The mediation team was formed after MPs rejected the senate allocation of 291.4 billion shillings to the counties.

The National Assembly also approved the budget estimates of 1 trillion 505 billion and 492 million shillings for the next financial year after the budget and appropriations committee reduced the financial estimates by over 400 billion shillings.

By Maureen Murimi