President William Ruto on Wednesday, October 15, assented to eight Bills passed by the National Assembly into law at a ceremony at State House, Nairobi.
The newly signed laws include key amendments to the National Land Commission Act, Land Act, Wildlife Conservation Act, Cybercrimes Act,and the National Police Service Commission Act.
Also signed were the Air Passenger Service Charge Bill, Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, and the Privatisation Bill, all of which now officially form part of the Statutes of the Republic of Kenya.
According to a statement by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the passage of these laws reflects the government’s commitment to fairness, modernisation, and inclusive progress.
“These transformative laws are designed to address historical injustices, enhance transparency and accountability, and accelerate digital and economic reforms, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to a just, modern, and prosperous Kenya in line with the national transformation agenda,” the statement read.
This comes months after Ruto signed into law the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2025, and the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, paving the way for the disbursement of a record Ksh415 billion to all 47 county governments in the new financial year.
In an update on Wednesday, August 13, Ruto said the new development represents an increase of nearly Ksh30 billion from last year’s allocation of Ksh387.4 billion.
“We have increased the equitable share of revenue to Ksh415 billion among our 47 Counties, representing a rise of almost Ksh30 billion from the previous financial year’s Ksh387.4 billion.
“The significant increase in the funds underpins our commitment to mobilising more resources to support devolution and boost service delivery to the people at the grassroots,” he said.
For the 2025/26 financial year, the Bill allocates a total of Ksh415 billion to county governments, representing 21.6% of the audited national revenue for the 2021/22 financial year.
The distribution of the funds is guided by the Fourth Basis Formula for Revenue Sharing; this formula considers factors such as population size, land area, poverty levels, and development needs to ensure fairness and address regional disparities.
For instance, Nairobi County receives the largest share at Ksh21.4 billion, followed by Nakuru County (Ksh14.4 billion), Turkana County (Ksh13.89 billion), Kakamega County (Ksh13.6 billion), and Kiambu County (Ksh13.07 billion), while Lamu County receives the smallest allocation at Ksh3.85 billion.
The Bill established a clear legal and financial framework to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of these funds.
It mandates that all transfers be recorded in county treasuries’ financial statements and deposited into County Revenue Funds according to a Senate-approved payment schedule.
Additionally, the Bill allows for supplementary allocations from national revenue, as well as loans and grants from development partners.
Initially, the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) proposed a slightly higher figure of Ksh417.4 billion, but a mediated agreement settled on Ksh415 billion.
