Devolution has received a significant boost following the announcement by H.E. President William Samoei Ruto of an increase in the equitable share of revenue allocated to counties to Sh415 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year — a Sh30 billion rise from last year’s Sh387.4 billion.

The announcement coincided with the presidential assent to the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2025, and the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The latter amends the Public Finance Management Act to establish a County Assembly Fund in each of the 47 counties, a measure designed to streamline county assembly operations, grant them financial autonomy, and strengthen their oversight role.

This development comes on the eve of the Devolution Conference (DevCon) 2025 in Homa Bay County, where key stakeholders in the devolution space have gathered to reflect on a decade of devolved governance and chart the way forward. The President’s action sets a strong tone for the conference, underscoring the national government’s commitment to deepening and sustaining devolution.