Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa has revealed a joint task-force team has been formed to formulate the necessary policy and legal framework for the different regional economic blocs in Kenya. Speaking to the press in Nairobi, CS Wamalwa said the law allows Counties to work together but there is the need to develop the necessary legal and policy framework to enable the Counties work together on different projects. He said regional economic blocs enhances the attractiveness of Counties as investments magnets, “Counties standing on their own are less attractive.”
Currently, the Counties that haven’t joined regional blocs are Nairobi, Kajiado and Narok. The regional blocs include Lake Region Economic Bloc that has fourteen Counties from the Western/Lake region, The North Rift Economic Bloc that has the Counties from the North Rift region, Jumuiya ya Kaunti Za Pwani which brings together the six Coastal Counties, The Mount Kenya and Aberdares Bloc which brings together the Counties from the Central region, The Frontier Counties Development Council which brings together seven frontier Counties including Garissa and Marsabit, and The South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc that brings together the three Ukambani Counties.
CS Wamalwa said the task-force will also deal with the strengthening of the Public-Private Partnerships, adding that very few Counties have developed the PPPs. He said the PPP framework will be strengthened to make it easier for Counties to attract private investments and public partnerships. Furthermore, he said there is a need to amend the intergovernmental relations and the County Government Act and regional development authorities. “Each of the authorities has their own separate statutes, but in view of the new constitutional dispensation and the economic blocs coming together, we’ll need to see how these regional authorities can be able to interface with these blocs,” said Wamalwa.
