KISUMU, June 2026 – The quest to enhance healthcare services and infrastructure in Kisumu County received a major boost on Tuesday as the County Assembly approved budget estimates amounting to Sh14,460,638,805 for the upcoming financial year.
Dubbed “The Legacy Budget” to mark the end of Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o’s 10-year tenure, the fiscal plan comprises Sh11,942,344,932 from the National Revenue share and Sh2,334,293,893 from Own Source Revenue. This approval paves the way for crucial programs geared toward transforming the socio-economic development of the lakeside county.
Moved by the Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson and Kondele Ward Representative, Hon Joachim Oketch, the lawmakers also approved the Kisumu County Appropriations Bill, 2026, which authorizes the expenditure of public funds.
Under the new budget, recurrent expenditure is set at Sh8,544,312,367, comprising Sh5,548,779,614 for personnel emoluments and Sh2,995,532,753 for operations and maintenance. Development expenditure has been allocated Sh5,916,326,438, while Sh587,358,284 is earmarked specifically to settle pending bills.
Speaking to the press after the approval, Hon Oketch explained that health received the lion’s share of Sh3 billion primarily because the department carries the largest workforce. He noted that while staff remuneration is traditionally a recurrent expense, the county recognizes that after investing heavily in building physical health centers, the priority must now shift to “software,” ensuring these facilities are adequately staffed.
A similar priority was extended to infrastructure, particularly roads, where funding will focus heavily on clearing pending bills and sustaining rollover projects. Hon Oketch clarified that heavy rains, which persisted through April and into early May, severely disrupted construction schedules.
“Rather than canceling these stalled road projects, the assembly opted to shield local contractors by rolling over uncompleted works into the new financial cycle. This strategy specifically aims to address long-standing public complaints regarding rural access roads,” he explained.
To strike a balance between the pristine city center and lagging rural wards, the county has allocated Sh50 million to strengthen machine-based road maintenance in rural areas, alongside a Sh200 million flagship project in Seme. Meanwhile, the city administration received over Sh1 billion, though the bulk of this will also fund rolled-over urban road extensions, street lighting, and the Kisumu Urban Project (KUP).
Education and foundational social investments were also safeguarded, with the budget continuing to support the county’s bursary and scholarship funds. For the third consecutive year, the county plans to recruit an additional 100 Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers to systematically improve teacher-to-pupil ratios across all public centres.
The budget process itself took a historic turn when Governor Nyong’o personally appeared before the Budget Committee during departmental interrogations. He urged lawmakers to prioritize high-impact development interventions and ensure the completion of ongoing flagship projects before his tenure concludes.
However, the fiscal alignment required tight compromises, resulting in the removal of Sh13 million originally meant for the improvement of the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium. This decision was driven by an unresolved land ownership tussle between the county government and the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK), which has prevented the county from collecting revenue at the facility.
To resolve this impasse and unlock adjacent developments like the international conference center, the assembly has proposed allocating Sh50 million to purchase an alternative 10-acre piece of land to relocate the ASK Showgrounds, giving the Governor stronger leverage in his ongoing negotiations with President William Ruto.
Other localized commercial and cultural projects faced adjustments with the contentious Nyamasaria Bus Park received an additional Sh51 million for expansion or relocation, leaving the city management to negotiate the final execution plan with local traders. For the annual Piny Luo Festival, which requires Sh89 million to fully realize its investment-attracting potential, the assembly maintained a direct allocation of Sh13 million, noting that partners and external sponsors must step in to fill the remaining financial gap.
The assembly also took aggressive measures to halt the county’s cycle of accumulating debt. While old financial obligations are being paid off, shortfalls in local collections regularly create new debts at the close of every financial year. Audited pending bills currently stand at Sh1.5 billion, but officials acknowledge that unaudited figures from the closing fiscal year will likely push the total back up to Sh2 billion. To break this cycle, the assembly is moving away from phasing out active contracts and is instead relying on rollovers to give contractors legally backed time frames.
More importantly, the county has corrected past over-projections by slashing its Own Source Revenue(OSR) target from an unrealistic Sh3.7 billion down to a pragmatic Sh2.3 billion. This reduction ensures the county operates on a realistic budget where actual collections match projected expenditures, ultimately confining future debts to historical liabilities.
With robust debates concluded and feedback from public participation memoranda integrated, Speaker of the Assembly Hon Elisha Jack Oraro thanked the members for their diligence and the Kisumu County Appropriations Bill, 2026, now moves to Governor Nyong’o for official assent and subsequent gazettement.
