ICPAK Council member lauds enactment of law granting county assemblies financial autonomy » Capital News

KISUMU, Kenya, Aug 13 – President William Ruto has been lauded for signing into law a landmark bill granting county assemblies full financial autonomy.

On Wednesday at the State Lodge in Homa Bay, the President assented to the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2025, and the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

FCPA Hesbon Omollo, a council member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), said the legislation will free county assemblies from the financial control of county executives — a decade-old imbalance he says has undermined accountability.

“Governors have routinely withheld funds, effectively muzzling oversight and compromising the independence of county assemblies,” Omollo said.

Sponsored by Senator Kathuri Murungi, the amendment bill changes the Public Finance Management Act to create a County Assembly Fund in every county.

“This new law marks a turning point. It promises to shield MCAs from executive patronage and empower them to fulfill their oversight mandate with integrity and courage,” Omollo added.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 9th Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, Omollo praised President Ruto and the Senate for driving reforms in Kenya’s governance framework.

Omollo, who served on a taskforce validating pending bills, revealed that of 1,128 audit reports for both assemblies and executives over the past 12 years, fewer than 20 were unqualified.

“That’s less than two percent — a sobering reflection of systemic weaknesses in managing devolved funds,” he noted.

During the signing ceremony, President Ruto announced an increase in the equitable share of revenue to Sh415 billion for the 47 counties — about Sh30 billion more than the previous year’s Sh387 billion.

“This significant increase underpins our commitment to mobilising more resources to support devolution and improve service delivery at the grassroots,” the President said.