The Ministry of Finance derives its mandate from the Constitution of Kenya, Cap VII Sections 99-103 which provides for proper budgetary and expenditure management of government financial resources. In addition, Parliament, over the years has enacted 49 Acts to which the Ministry of Finance is a custodian thereby adding more responsibilities to the Ministry...
The functions of the Ministry of Finance are strategic in several ways. As a main function, the Ministry is charged with the responsibility of formulating financial and economic policies. It is also responsible for developing and maintaining sound fiscal and monetary policies that facilitate socio - economic development. This responsibility makes the Ministry strategic and central to the country's economic management, as all sectors of the economy look upon the Ministry to create an enabling environment in which they can operate effectively and efficiently. The Ministry regulates the financial sector which is central to the development of the country and on which all other sectors depend for investment resources.
Another strategic responsibility of the Ministry is the management of revenues, expenditures and borrowing by the government. The Ministry must ensure that it mobilises adequate resources to support government programmes and activities. Consequently, the Ministry has the task of developing sound fiscal policies that ensure sustainable budget deficits. In addition the Ministry must ensure that government expenditure is within the revenue collected to reduce domestic borrowing, which tends to cause negative ripples in economic management.
The Ministry is also strategic as far as bilateral and multilateral development financing and technical assistance is concerned. Given the need for support from development partners to enhance the country's economic recovery and poverty reduction efforts, the performance of the Ministry in effectively coordinating this support cannot be underscored. The Ministry must therefore, provide direction in the identification, planning and management of donor support to ensure that it is targeted to those areas of the economy that need it most.
The Ministry coordinates government ministries/departments in the preparation of the annual national budget. It is the responsibility of the Ministry to initiate and guide all ministries/departments to prepare their ministerial budgets. The Ministry also provides Accounting, Auditing, IT, Insurance, Pensions, Procurement, Clearing and Forwarding services, and Divestiture services among others to other government ministries/departments.
The Ministry has established an elaborate network through its established departments, and sector institutions, to effectively deliver on its mandate.