Counties to get Ksh.70.6B more as Ruto signs four new bills into law

President William Ruto has assented into law four Bills that provide a new framework for the management of State corporations, more funds to the counties, and repeals a 95-year-old law on the collection of taxes and duties.

The Bills the President signed on Friday at State House Nairobi are the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2025, the Capital Markets (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Provisional Collection of Taxes and Duties (Repeal) Bill, 2025, and the Government-Owned Enterprises Bill, 2025.

The County Governments Additional Allocations Act provides an extra Ksh.70.6 billion to county governments in the 2025/2026 financial year.

Of this amount, Ksh.9.98 billion, from the national government’s share of revenue, will be directed to the payment of salary arrears for doctors and Community Health Promoters, as well as the completion of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks.

Counties will further receive Ksh.57.7 billion from development partners to implement a range of projects and programmes.

The Capital Markets (Amendment) Act modernises the regulatory framework for licensing capital markets intermediaries, with the aim of revitalising the sector, improving efficiency, and enhancing the ease of doing business.

The law also removes shareholding limits to attract greater investment in regulated institutions.

The Provisional Collection of Taxes and Duties (Repeal) Act expunges from the laws of Kenya the 1929 statute that previously allowed Parliament to introduce taxes before full legislation was enacted.

In 2018, the courts declared this provision unconstitutional and affirmed that all taxes must be imposed through properly enacted laws.

The Government-Owned Enterprises Act is a landmark reform introducing best practices in the management of State corporations.

It mandates the appointment of independent board members through a transparent and competitive process, among other progressive measures to strengthen accountability.

The new laws reinforce Kenya's commitment to sound governance, transparency, and effective service delivery.