Eight governors from the North Rift are working on a collective legislative bill from their respective county assemblies to regulate the creation of a joint economic bloc.
The team chaired by Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago said they want a law that will govern their joint efforts under the North Rift Economic Bloc (Noreb).
The counties want to work collaterally to advance the development of the region by pooling resources towards greater success.
The county bosses held a two-day meeting at the Kenya School of Government (KSG) in Baringo County on Friday to discuss a draft of the bill that will be debated by the county assemblies.
The meeting was attended by governors Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo), Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo/Marakwet), Patrick Khaemba (Trans-Nzoia), Cleophas Lagat(Nandi), Simon Kachapin (West Pokot), and Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu). Turkana is also a member of the group.
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They called upon MCAs to finalise and pass the legislative bill that will chart the path for improvement of infrastructure, revitalisation of tourism sector, boost healthcare and entrepreneurship.
"Research has shown our counties have the best tourists’ attraction sites that can match Amboseli and Maasai Mara. We therefore want establish a tourism circuit together with the Kenya Tourism Board in order to improve the sector," Mandago told the press after their meeting.
He further said the Noreb member counties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) to improve the county referral hospitals and ensure patients receive specialised treatment within their respective counties unlike in the past.
In the livestock sector, he said the counties have mastered a joint disease control programme in collaboration with the national government in which livestock will be vaccinated.
"We target to reduce the likelihood of diseases outbreaks," Mandago said.
"As Noreb, we are currently undertaking development activities but within the budgets of our single counties," he said, adding that once the bill is passed, the counties shall have a joint budget to run activities in the entire region.
The chair also said the counties will join efforts towards fighting the insecurity menace among the warring pastoral communities.