County leaders secured commitments for supplementary financial allocations to accelerate implementation of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda, according to a resolution from the Sixth Devolution Conference held in Kirinyaga.
The conference, which concluded on March 7, 2019, directed the Treasury, Parliament, and revenue bodies to integrate additional funding into the 2020 budget cycle. The plan aims to support devolved functions including food security, healthcare, manufacturing, and affordable housing.
The Treasury reduced the equitable share of revenue to counties for the 2020 fiscal year to Sh310 billion, down from Sh314 billion in the current cycle, citing revenue shortfalls. Officials emphasized prioritization of resources for the Big Four initiatives.
A separate executive order restructured oversight mechanisms, requiring county commissioners to submit bi-weekly project progress reports to national authorities. Governors sought inclusion in monitoring frameworks led by Interior Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who directly advises the president.
The agreement follows criticism of county governments for allocating significant devolved funds to administrative costs rather than development projects, according to the conference communique.
