President Kenyatta signs revenue division, supplementary funds bills into law

President Uhuru Kenyatta signs a Bill at State House in Nairobi on April 1, 2016. The president has signed into law the Division of Revenue Bill, 2016, the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2016 and the Climate Change Bill, 2014. FILE PHOTO | PSCU  

By KIARIE NJOROGE

President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law the Division of Revenue Bill, 2016 setting out the amount that each level of the government will receive.

Mr Kenyatta also signed into law the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2016 and the Climate Change Bill, 2014.

The Division of Revenue Act, 2016 is set in the Constitution as the legislation used to allocate funds to the two government levels with county government entitled to receive at least 15 per cent of the last audited revenues.

“The total sharable revenue for 2016/2017 amounts to Sh1.3 trillion, of which the national government has been allocated Sh1.09 trillion,” the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit (PSCU) said in a statement.

“County Governments have been allocated Sh280.3 billion while the Equalisation Fund has been allocated Sh6 billion.”

The recently passed Supplementary Bill authorises the government to reduce allocations in some areas while giving additional funds to other agencies.

The Climate Change law will create institutions aimed at tackling environmental issues related to climate change.

“The Act establishes the National Climate Change Council as an overarching high-level national climate change mechanisms to be chaired by the President,” the PSCU statement says.

“It also establishes the Climate Change Directorate which will be the Secretariat to the Council and the lead agency of the government on national climate change plans and actions.