Nairobi — President William Ruto has assented to the National Lottery and the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) Bills.

The Lottery Bill, which was sponsored by the Leader of the Majority in the National Assembly, Kimani Ichung'wah, seeks to establish the National Lottery Fund, whose objective is to retain and disburse the proceeds of the National Lottery.

It also established a National Lottery Board to administer the National Lottery.

The membership of the board will be drawn from institutional representatives as well as independent members.

''The National Lottery Board shall facilitate the equitable distribution of resources for good causes to all parts of Kenya, so as to ensure uniform benefit to all Kenyans,'' a statement from the president's office reads.

The Head of State also signed into law the NGCDF Bill to align the NGCDF Act of 2015 with the Constitution.

''In particular, the Bill seeks to ensure that the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) is used to fund projects falling under the exclusive functions of the National Government as set out in the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution,'' it added.

Among the recommendations of the Bill is the setting aside of five percent of the funds allocated per constituency to climate change mitigation, including afforestation, grass-roots sensitization, et cetera.

''The Bill introduces a 3% allocation of the NGCDF to be used in paying for utilities, costs, and maintenance of constituency digital hubs which are key in enabling the youth to acquire technological skills.''