13 county chiefs in US trip despite travel ban

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has led a team of 13 county bosses to the US, days after the government banned unnecessary foreign trips by county representatives.

The governors, who will be out for eight days seeking partnership deals for their counties, will also get in touch with investors and donors.

Their trip comes after a directive issued by Devolution Principal Secretary Mwanamaka Mabruki threatening to block applications for visas for foreign trips that are deemed unnecessary.

She said the trips were unnecessary and expensive, in terms of cost of tickets and allowances.

Ms Mabruki further directed that rather than spend such huge amounts of money in a foreign country, the counties should spend the money locally.

The PS also claimed that the trips were depleting Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves since all payments were made in US dollars.

However, in a swift rejoinder, Meru County Governor Peter Munya, the chairman of the Council of Governors, dismissed the letter, arguing that county governments were “distinct and autonomous”.

ODM national chairman John Mbadi also took issue with “attempts by the national government to micro-manage counties”.

Speaking during a fundraiser in his constituency, the Suba MP wondered why the national government wanted to stop county chiefs from visiting foreign countries to seek investors and donors.

“The national government should be the last to stop governors from making foreign trips because they are notorious for the same. Let them lead by example,” he added.

(READ: MCAs support government ban on foreign trips)

Mr Ranguma, who is also the chairman of the Lake Region Economic Bloc, which comprises 13 governors from Nyanza, Western and parts of Rift Valley, said they were not going to be cowed by the national government.

Through his communications director Dennis Ogolla, he said the purpose of the visit was to sell the bloc’s economic blueprint and negotiate for financing of its major joint projects, including proposals for a regional bank, factories for local produce, roads and eradication of water hyacinth, among others.

MEET MAJOR DONORS

“We are going to the US for a series of engagements including a round table with major donors. Why would the trips, which we consider very beneficial to the counties, be termed unnecessary? They should know their limit,” he said.

According to the itinerary seen by the Nation, the county bosses will meet with Kenya’s Ambassador to the US Robinson Njeru Githae before holding a meeting with Congressmen and the US chamber of commerce on Tuesday.

The team will then hold a consultative meeting with Virginia Economic Development Agency before meeting with experts in tilapia and sorghum farming at Virginia State University.

The delegation will Wednesday have a roundtable meeting with experts at USAID, meet US Department of Commerce, Deloitte trade and investment practitioners on Thursday and conclude with a meeting with the World Bank on Friday.

“As a bloc our intention is to leverage on the shared resources so that we can build a socio-economic system that gives best opportunities and reaps dividends for our people,” Ranguma said.

“We have begun the process of acquiring a banking institution, which will be wholly owned by the residents of the lake region,” said Mr Ranguma.

Awiti whose county of Homa Bay is among those that have been affected by the water hyacinth, said they are looking forward to a meeting with an investor who can help them eradicate the weed.

Among the Governors from the Lake Region Economic block who are in the trip organised and sponsored by Deloitte Consulting LLP and USAID include Cornel Rasanga (Siaya), Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay), Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Wycliffe Oparanya( Kakamega), Kenneth Lusaka (Bungoma) Okoth Obado (Migori) and Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia), Moses Akaranga (Vihiga,), John Nyagarama (Nyamira) and James Ongwae (Kisii).