Counties uneasy with Ksh 405B proposed allocation

Counties are likely to share out Ksh 405.1 billion over the next one year if the proposed 2025/2026 budget is adopted in its current form.

This amount will be complimented by an additional Ksh 69.8 billion in conditional allocations, bringing total transfers to about Ksh 474.9 billion.

In the current fiscal year, counties received an equitable share of Ksh 400.1 billion, along with Ksh 8.76 billion in conditional allocations from the National Government and Ksh 35.66 billion from development partners.

The 1.25pc increase in equitable share is meant to provide counties with much needed core funding to develop services including healthcare, education and road maintenance.

Budgetary allocations for counties in the 2025/2026 reflects an increase in the equitable share but a significant rise in conditional allocations, indicating a shift towards more targeted funding.

However, the Council of Governors has termed the proposed Ksh 405.1 billion equitable share to devolved units as insufficient.

Under the proposed equitable share, Nairobi County gets the highest allocation amounting to Ksh 21.2 billion while Lamu gets the least amount of Ksh 3.41 billion.