A team of officials from the Lake Region Economic Bloc held a sensitization forum in Nandi to elaborate and explain the essence of the Bloc to residents, while also listening to their views. The Bloc consists of 14 Counties around Lake Victoria and the environs, and the officials said one of the main reasons that led to its formation was to facilitate and open up trade in the region and also nationally.
However, some residents in Nandi, including MCAs, weren’t fully convinced with the Bloc, saying the County had been conducting business already with its neighboring Counties, adding that the economic Bloc won’t benefit the people of Nandi. They questioned the proposal to set up a regional bank, with a requirement that the 14 Counties should contribute a specified amount of money.
For some, the Bloc isn’t functional and yet the financial demands are huge, and that it should be revised and ratified. The 14 Counties that comprise the Bloc are Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Homa Bay, Migori, Nyamira, Nandi, Kisii, Bomet and Kericho. The seven pillars driving its development agenda are health, tourism, education, ICT, agriculture, infrastracture and financial services.