Section 6 of County Governments Act: Powers of county governments
(1) As an entity exercising constitutional authority, a county government shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and shall have all the powers necessary for the discharge of its functions.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), a county government may—
(a) enter into a contract;
(b) acquire, purchase or lease any land; or
(c) delegate any of its functions to its officers, decentralised units or other entities within the county.
(3) A county government may enter into partnerships with any public or private organization in accordance with the provisions of any law relating to public or private partnerships for any work, service or function for which it is responsible within its area of jurisdiction.
(4) All contracts lawfully entered into under this section shall be valid and binding on the county government, its successors and assigns.
(5) To ensure efficiency in the delivery of service or carrying out of a function for which the county government is responsible, the county government may—
(a) establish a company, firm or other body for the delivery of a particular service or carrying on of a particular function; or
(b) contract any person, company, firm or other body for the delivery of a particular service or carrying on a particular function.
(6) In exercising its powers or performing any of its functions a county government shall ensure efficiency, effectiveness, inclusivity and participation of the people.
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- Section 6A - Location of county governments
(1) Each of the county governments shall be located in the respective physical location set out in the Third Schedule.
(2) A County Assembly may, by a resolution supported by at least two-thirds of...
- Section 7 - Membership of the county assembly
(1) In addition to the members who are elected under Article 177(a), and thosewho are nominated under Article 177(b) of the Constitution, a county assembly shall comprise—
(a) six nominated members...
- Section 7A - County Assemblies to be duly constituted at first sitting
(1) A county assembly shall not be fully and duly constituted for first sitting after a general election unless all the members provided for under paragraph (b) and (c) of Article 177(1) of the...
- Section 8 - Role of the county assembly
(1) The county assembly shall—
(a) vet and approve nominees for appointment to county public offices as may be provided for in this Act or any other law;
(b) perform the roles set out under Article...
- Section 9 - Role of members of the county assembly
(1) A member of a county assembly shall—
(a) maintain close contact with the electorate and consult them on issues before or under discussion in the county assembly;
(b) present views, opinions and...
- Section 10 - County assembly party leaders
(1) There shall be in each county assembly a leader of the majority party anda leader of the minority party.
(2) The leader of the majority party shall be the person who is the leader of the largest...
- Section 11 - Removal of speaker from office
(1) A speaker of a county assembly may be removed from office by the county assembly through a resolution supported by not less than seventy five percent of all the members of the county...
- Section 12 - The county assembly service board
(1) There shall be a county assembly service board for each county assembly.
(2) The county assembly service board shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal.
(3) The...
- Section 13 - Clerk and staff of the county assembly
(1) There shall be a clerk of the county assembly, appointed by the county assembly service board with the approval of the county assembly.
(2) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a...
- Section 14 - Procedure and committees of the county assembly
(1) A county assembly—
(a) may make standing orders consistent with the Constitution and this Act regulating the procedure of the county assembly including, in particular, orders for the proper...
- Section 15 - Right to petition county assembly
(1) A person has a right to petition a county assembly to consider any matter within its authority, including enacting, amending or repealing any of its legislation.
(2) Each county assembly shall...
- Section 16 - Freedom of speech and debate
No civil or criminal proceedings may be instituted in any court or tribunal against a member of a county assembly by reason of any matter said in any debate, petition, motion or other proceedings of...
- Section 17 - Powers, privileges and immunities of a county assembly
The national law regulating the powers and privileges of Parliament shall, with the necessary modifications, apply to a county assembly.
- Section 18 - Official languages of a county assembly
(1) The official languages of a county assembly shall be Kiswahili, English and Kenyan sign language and the business of the county assembly may be conducted in English, Kiswahili and Kenyan sign...
- Section 19 - Quorum
The quorum of a county assembly is one third of all the members of the county assembly.
- Section 20 - Voting in a county assembly
(1) Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution, in this Act or in other legislation, any question proposed for decision by the county assembly shall be determined by a majority of the members of...
- Section 21 - Procedure for the exercise of legislative powers
(1) A county assembly shall exercise its legislative power through Bills passed by the county assembly and assented to by the governor.
(2) A Bill may be introduced by any member or committee of the...
- Section 22 - Bill to have a title
A Bill introduced in the county assembly shall be identified by a title placed at the beginning of the Bill and the title shall include the subject matter of the statute to be enacted.
- Section 23 - Publication of a Bill
A Bill shall be published by including the Bill as a supplement in the county Gazette and the Kenya Gazette.
- Section 24 - Assenting to a Bill
(1) The Speaker shall, within fourteen days, forward a Bill passed by the county assembly to the governor.
(2) The governor shall within fourteen days after receipt of a Bill—
(a) assent to the...
- Section 25 - Coming into force of a law
(1) A legislation passed by the county assembly and assented to by the governor shall be published in the county Gazette and Kenya Gazette within seven days after assent.
(2) Subject to subsection...
- Section 26 - Number and delimitation of electoral Wards, etc.
(1) There shall be not more than one thousand four hundred and fifty electoral Wards for purposes of the election of county assembly members.
(2) For purposes of the first general elections under the...
- Section 27 - Recall of a county assembly member
(1) The electorate in a county ward may recall their member of the county assembly before the end of the term of the member on any of the grounds specified in subsection (2).
(2) A member of a county...
- Section 28 - Petition for recall
(1) A recall under section 27 shall be initiated by a petition which shall be file with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and which shall be—
(a) in writing;
(b) signed by a...
- Section 29 - Recall elections
(1) Where a member of the county assembly is to be recalled under section 27,the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall frame the question to be determined at the recall...
- Section 30 - Functions and responsibilities of a county governor
(1) The governor shall take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation as set out in the Schedule to this Act before assuming office.
(2) Subject to the Constitution, the governor...
- Section 31 - Powers of the governor
The governor—
(a) may, despite section 40, dismiss a county executive committee member at any time, if the governor considers that it is appropriate or necessary to do so;
(b) shall dismiss a county...
- Section 32 - Functions of the deputy governor
(1) The deputy governor shall take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation asset out in the First Schedule to this Act before assuming office.
(2) The deputy governor shall deputize for the governor...
- Section 33 - Removal of a governor
(1) A member of the county assembly may by notice to the speaker, supported by at least a third of all the members, move a motion for the removal of the governor under Article 181 of the...
- Section 34 - Exercise of executive authority
The county executive committee shall exercise the executive authority—
(a) in accordance with the Constitution and relevant national and county legislation;
(b) for the well-being and benefit of the...
- Section 35 - Appointment of county executive members
(1) The governor shall, when nominating members of the executive committee—
(a) ensure that to the fullest extent possible, the composition of the executive committee reflects the community and...
- Section 36 - Functions of the executive committee
(1) In addition to the functions provided under Article 183 of the Constitution,a county executive committee shall—
(a) supervise the administration and delivery of services in the county and all...
- Section 37 - Role of the executive committee in urban area or city planning
A county executive committee shall—
(a) monitor the process of planning, formulation and adoption of the integrated development plan by a city or municipality within the county;
(b) assist a city or...
- Section 38 - Oath of office for the executive committee
A person appointed as a member of the county executive committee under Article 179 of the Constitution shall take the prescribed oath or affirmation of office provided in the First Schedule to this...
- Section 39 - Accountability of members of the executive committee
(1) The members of the county executive committee are individually and collectively accountable to the governor in the exercise of their powers and performance of their duties and...
- Section 40 - Removal of member of executive committee
(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Governor may remove a member of the county executive committee from office on any of the following grounds—
(a) incompetence;
(b) abuse of office;
(c) gross...
- Section 41 - Meetings of the county executive committee
(1) The deliberations of all meetings of the county executive committee shallbe recorded in writing.
(2) The quorum of a meeting of a county executive committee shall be more than one half of its...
- Section 42 - County executive to remain in office after elections
(1) When a general election is held for a county government, the outgoing county executive committee shall remain in office until a new county executive committee is constituted after the...
- Section 43 - Representation of county government by Attorney-General in court
A county government may, pursuant to Article 156(4) of the Constitution request the Attorney-General to represent the county government in court or in any other legal proceedings to which the county...
- Section 44 - Appointment of county secretary
(1) There is established for each county the office of the county secretary who shall be secretary to the county executive committee.
(2) The county secretary—
(a) shall be competitively sourced...
- Section 45 - Appointment of county chief officers
(1) The governor shall—
(a) nominate qualified and experienced county chief officers from among persons competitively sourced and recommended by the County Public Service Board; and
(b) with the...
- Section 46 - County executive committee to determine organisation of county
(1) The county executive committee shall determine the organization of the county and its various departments, and for that purpose may—
(a) establish, continue or vary any department, and determine...
- Section 47 - Performance management plan
(1) The county executive committee shall design a performance management plan to evaluate performance of the county public service and the implementation of county policies.
(2) The plan shall...
- Section 48 - Decentralized units
(1) Subject to subsection (3), the functions and provision of services of each county government shall be decentralized to—
(a) the urban areas and cities within the county established in accordance...
- Section 49 - Urban areas and cities structures
The structures and functions of urban areas and cities shall be as is provided for in the Urban Areas and Cities Act (No. 13 of 2011).
- Section 50 - Office of the sub-county administrator
(1) There shall be established at the level of each sub-county the office of the sub-county administrator.
(2) The sub-county administrator shall have qualifications and knowledge in administration...
- Section 51 - Establishment of the office of Ward administrator
(1) There is established for each Ward in a county the office of the Ward administrator.
(2) The Ward administrator shall have professional qualifications and technical knowledge in administration...
- Section 52 - Establishment of the office of village administrator
(1) There is established the office of village administrator for each village unit established in a county.
(2) A village administrator shall have professional qualifications and technical knowledge...
- Section 53 - Village council
(1) There is established, for each village unit, a village council comprising—
(a) the village administrator who shall be the chairperson of the village council; and
(b) not less than three and not...
- Section 54 - Structures of decentralization
(1) There shall be such further structures of decentralization as may be providedfor in county legislation.
(2) There shall be, for every county, a consultative forum for the co-ordination of...