North Rift governors lead plans to form regional bloc

Governors from the North Rift have stepped up plans to form what they have termed as the most vibrant economic bloc in the country.

Speaking on Friday night in Eldoret Town, governors Simon Kachapin (West-Pokot), Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu) and several representatives from the eight counties said they will involve all leaders to come up with a comprehensive document that will bind the economic bloc.

The economic bloc brings together Uasin Gishu, West Pokot, Baringo, Turkana, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Samburu counties.

“First, we are coming up with a framework and later we will talk with the various county assemblies to come up with legal framework touching on licenses and taxes so that residents in the counties will benefit from the bloc,” said Mr Mandago, the interim chairman of the proposed bloc.

He added that there were mega projects which one county could not single-handedly implement and that is why they were coming together.

Mr Kachapin said that infrastructural developments like the Kitale-South Sudan highway to be built by the government in the next financial year will open up the region to investment and solve the perennial conflicts pitting the warring communities in the region.

During the press conference, Governor Mandago disclosed that that Samburu County had formally joined the regional block since it shared similar demographic features and issues with the other counties.

The county boss said that they will jointly be involved in muilti-billion projects such construction of a water reservoir that will benefit the three counties.

Mr Mandago said that they will work round the clock to re-brand the region as the new tourism and investment destination in the country and beyond.