County Assembly Forum faces funding cut as Senate demands legal backing

County assemblies across the country have been put on notice after senators warned that continued funding of two national coordination bodies could be stopped unless they are formally established in law, setting up a possible financial shutdown by the end of June.

The County Assembly Forum (CAF), which brings together all 47 county assemblies, together with the Society of Clerks at the Table (SOCATT), now risks losing public funding after the Senate directed that their operations must be legally anchored within three months from March 31, 2026.

The move follows concerns raised by the Office of the Auditor-General, which flagged annual subscriptions paid to the two organisations even though they have no legal foundation under the Constitution or any Act of Parliament.

In a report reviewing Auditor-General findings for county assemblies for the 2024/25 financial year, the Senate County Public Accounts Committee noted that CAF and SOCATT have played an important role in coordination, training, and strengthening county assembly work, but insisted that all public spending must be lawful.

While presenting the report for debate, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang said the two bodies must comply within the set timeline or face a total suspension of payments from county assemblies.

“Failure to anchor the operations within the provided timeframe will mean that all payments to the two organisations should cease,” he said.

The committee further found that several county assemblies had continued paying yearly subscriptions to CAF and SOCATT despite their unclear legal status, describing the payments as not supported by law.

“These bodies are not established by any Act of Parliament or the Constitution,” the committee stated, adding that the expenditure was irregular and not permitted.

Auditors revealed that some county assemblies spend up to Sh2.75 million every year on subscriptions, raising concerns over accountability and whether public funds are being used in line with the law.

The committee said the payments go against Section 149(1)(a) of the Public Finance Management Act and Article 201(d) of the Constitution, which require all public money to be spent only for approved purposes.

Senators have now directed county assembly service boards to immediately stop the payments until a proper legal framework is created to govern the two organisations.

“The irregular payments should be stopped immediately until a legislative framework is developed,” the committee recommended.

Despite the financial uncertainty, CAF has remained a key coordination platform for county assemblies since the start of devolution, supporting legislative processes, promoting accountability, and building capacity among Members of County Assembly.

The forum also organises annual legislative meetings, supports oversight work, and works with civil society groups on governance issues, civic participation, and gender programmes across counties.