Kitui government is working on a law to establish county-owned corporations to foster industrialisation and widen the revenue base.
The County Corporation Bill 2019 underwent public participation last Friday.
The passing of the bill will give the force of law to the operations of the county government-owned Kitui County Textile Centre (Kicotec) and the yet to be completed but controversial County Ballast Crusher at Kwa Kilui in Kitui rural subcounty.
“If the County Corporation Bill 2019 goes through and becomes law, the county government will be free to do business and make profits through a number of parastatals,” Mulango MCA James Nzamba said.
Nzamba, who is the chairman of the Finance and Economic Planning committee, spoke to the Star on Monday. Last Friday, he presided over the public participation session on the bill at the Kefri centre in Kitui town.
He said water firms under the county government like the Kitui Water and Sanitation Company and Kiambere-Mwingi Water and Sanitation Company will also fall under the realm of county corporations.
“When the chickens come home to roost, any county corporation will be financially independent and expected to raise own funds to meet all its running cost. They will not get any funding or budgetary allocation from the county treasury,” Nzamba said.
He said the public participation forum was fruitful and the views will be included in the final report to the county assembly.
Edited by R.Wamochie
