Governors urge timely passage of county funding bill in crucial meeting with Budget Committee

Governors urge timely passage of county funding bill in crucial meeting with Budget Committee 

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

The Council of Governors (CoG) has urged the National Assembly to fast-track the passage of the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2025 (Senate Bill No. 1 of 2025), citing persistent delays that have disrupted county operations and led to the loss of crucial donor funds.

Appearing before the Budget and Appropriations Committee chaired by Hon. Samuel Atandi (Alego Usonga), CoG representatives Governor Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega) and Governor Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) voiced strong support for the Bill in its current form, which proposes to allocate Kshs. 50.5 billion in additional conditional and unconditional funding to counties.

Governor Barasa, who chairs the CoG Finance Committee, welcomed the revised version of the Bill, saying it reflects earlier concerns raised by counties and restores critical funding.

“This revised Bill reinstates allocations as originally budgeted, which is commendable,” he said. “However, the delayed consideration and passage of these Bills has affected counties' absorption capacity and implementation of key programmes—some of which have ended in donor funding losses due to non-performance.”

Barasa noted that the delays in passing the Additional Allocations Bills have been a recurring issue since the 2021/22 financial year. He emphasized the need for Parliament to adhere to timelines set out in the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act.

“We therefore urge the National Assembly to ensure that subsequent Bills are passed within the legal timelines, and in any case, not after the beginning of the Financial Year to which the allocations relate,” he said.

A key topic during the session was the protracted legal dispute over the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), which has been a source of tension between the National Assembly and the Council of Governors. Chairperson Hon. Atandi invited views on how to resolve the matter amicably.

“On the issue of RMLF and the court cases, what is your view as a way forward for all of us?” he asked.

In response, the Governors called for constructive dialogue, emphasizing that a collaborative approach was necessary to reach a sustainable solution.

Governor Wanga raised concerns over the structural separation of the Additional Allocations Bill from the County Revenue Allocation Act (CARA), a move she said has contributed to further disbursement delays.

“These additional allocations were initially part of the CARA schedule and used to pass together,” she explained. “We now propose to revert to that structure. We will be making a formal request to restore the previous framework to streamline disbursements.”

In his closing remarks, Hon. Atandi assured the Governors of the Committee’s commitment to fast-tracking the Bill’s consideration.

“We appreciate the Governors' input and concerns. The Committee will expedite the process to ensure counties receive these critical funds in good time,” he said.