Kisumu Assembly Passes KES 14.46 Billion Budget (USD 111.98 Million)

(LAKE REGION, KISUMU) – The Kisumu County Assembly has approved a KES 14.46 billion (USD 111.98 million) budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, clearing the way for spending on programmes and projects meant to speed up social and economic development.

The budget is made up of KES 11.94 billion (USD 92.49 million) from national revenue and KES 2.33 billion (USD 18.07 million) from the county’s own revenue collection.

The approval moves the process from planning into the delivery stage, where the County Executive must now put the plans into action and make sure essential public services reach all sectors.

The total marks a rise of KES 4.86 billion (USD 37.64 million) compared to the 2025/2026 financial year. The increase points to stronger county financial capacity and is seen as a move towards better service delivery, faster development in key sectors, and more efficient use of public resources.

It also signals growing confidence in the county’s development goals and offers a chance to deepen economic growth, create jobs, and lift the quality of public services.

With the assembly’s vote done, attention now turns fully from budget making to delivery. The County Executive bears the responsibility of turning the approved financial plans into real development projects and improved services for residents. The budget still awaits assent by Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o before it is officially gazetted.

The budget puts heavy stress on finishing ongoing projects rather than starting new ones. This marks a shift towards securing investments already made and ensuring that stalled or incomplete projects are finished before Prof. Nyong’o’s term ends in August next year.

Governor Nyong’o has asked Members of the County Assembly to direct resources towards high impact development areas, with special focus on critical sectors such as health and infrastructure.

This focus differs from the 2025/2026 financial year, which saw more resources go into launching and funding new development projects that are now at different stages of implementation.

The current budget also strengthens the County Assembly’s pledge to stronger oversight, careful management of public resources, transparency, accountability, and the broader aim of achieving sustainable development for the people of Kisumu County.

Recurrent expenditure is set at KES 8.54 billion (USD 66.18 million), covering both staff costs and operations and maintenance. Personal emoluments account for KES 5.55 billion (USD 42.98 million), while operations and equipment maintenance are allocated KES 3.00 billion (USD 23.20 million).

This spending is intended to support staff pay, keep government operations running, and allow the smooth delivery of day to day public services across all departments.

Development expenditure is allocated KES 5.92 billion (USD 45.83 million), directed towards infrastructure and the continuation of multiyear projects designed to improve service delivery across the county.

A further KES 587.36 million (USD 4.55 million) has been set aside for clearing pending bills, reflecting a deliberate push to settle outstanding financial obligations and steady payments to suppliers and contractors working with the county government.

The development allocation highlights continued investment in infrastructure and multiyear schemes meant to improve services for residents. Likewise, the provision for pending bills aims to restore financial stability, improve government credibility, and ensure timely settlement of debts owed to service providers.

Taken as a whole, the budget reflects a carefully balanced effort to maintain ongoing operations, support staff related costs, and steadily advance development priorities across the county.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Elisha Jack Oraro, thanked Members of the County Assembly for their detailed debates and for passing the budget estimates alongside the Kisumu County Appropriations Bill, 2026.

He also praised members of the public for taking an active part in the budget process, especially through the submission of feedback and memoranda on the proposed estimates, which helped shape the final approved budget framework.

Since devolution began in 2013, Kenya’s 47 counties have together received more than KES 3.7 trillion (USD 28.66 billion) in equitable revenue shares, grants, and development partner loans. Over KES 2.4 trillion (USD 18.59 billion) of this amount was paid out solely as unconditional equitable revenue in the first eight years.

County allocations are reviewed each year through the Division of Revenue Act and the County Allocation of Revenue Act. For example, counties were allocated a total equitable share of KES 85.4 billion (USD 661.34 million) in the 2023/2024 financial year, a figure that grew to KES 415 billion (USD 3.21 billion), and later reached KES 428 billion (USD 3.31 billion) in recent allocations.

Since 2013, Kisumu County has received more than KES 120 billion (USD 929.36 million) in total allocations from the national government, covering both the unconditional equitable share and conditional grants paid out across successive financial years.

Devolution was designed to bring development closer to the people and has brought positive changes in many counties.