President William Ruto has announced a major boost to Kenya’s county governments after signing into law the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2025, and the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, at the State Lodge in Homa Bay on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.

Under the new law, the equitable share of revenue among the 47 counties will rise to Ksh415 billion, representing an increase of nearly Ksh30 billion from last year’s Ksh387.4 billion.

The Head of State said the new law is meant to improve service delivery at the ward level. This development comes at a time when Members of the County Assembly have been decrying a lack of enough resources to initiate development projects at the grassroots.

Resource mobilisation

“This 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,” President Ruto said during the signing ceremony.

The County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, sponsored by Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi, amends the Public Finance Management Act to establish a County Assembly Fund in every county. The fund is expected to enhance the financial autonomy of county assemblies, enabling them to execute their oversight, legislation, and representation roles more effectively.

The President emphasised that the additional resources will be directed toward strengthening service delivery. Critical sectors such as health, infrastructure, agriculture, and water services stand to benefit directly from the new development at the ward level in devolved functions.

He also lauded the role of the Senate and other stakeholders in supporting legislation that deepens devolution, terming the move a clear demonstration of the government’s resolve to empower county governments.

On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, President Ruto said that the government is implementing multi-pronged initiatives to create jobs for our young people, Kenya’s greatest asset. According to Ruto, initiatives such as the Affordable Housing Programme, labour mobility abroad, digital hubs, and ClimateWorx are creating jobs for a diverse pool of youth.

Additionally, President Ruto said that through business support and mentorship, including financial literacy training, affordable credit and grants, and government procurement opportunities reserved for the youth, the government aims to nurture successful youth-run businesses at the grassroots.