• Led by the bloc chairman Francis Kimemia, the governors resolved to enhance agriculture productivity through agro-processing and value addition to the farm produce – potatoes, milk, rice, miraa, bananas.
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Ten Central Kenya governors yesterday held a meeting to sign the Central Regional Economic Block agreement aimed at implementing joint economic programmes.
Led by the bloc chairman Francis Kimemia, the governors resolved to enhance agriculture productivity through agro-processing and value addition to the farm produce – potatoes, milk, rice, miraa, bananas.
The governors also discussed matters of aquaculture and the blue economy, coffee, tea, fruits and vegetables, and leather and beef production.
Governors present at the meeting in Nakuru were vice chair Kiraitu Murungi, Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru) Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu), Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia) Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri).
Cereb was initiated less than a year ago to leverage economies of scale in the region.
The bloc contributes the largest share of the country’s economy at over 26 per cent of the national GDP based on recent data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
“We foresee a bloc that will be vibrant with a view to contributing even a higher share to the national economy and improve the livelihood of its residents,” Kimemia said.
The county bosses said Cereb secretariat is working, and a draft blueprint for the bloc has been finalised
“We have had a special focus on coffee, which is a major cash crop in the central part of Kenya, and a significant foreign exchange earner, and which hasn’t been doing very well in recent years,” Kimemia said.
The county bosses thanked the government for the Sh3 billion given out for coffee farmers in this financial year.
“We look forward to having the money translated into a coffee revolving fund to be used as a minimum guaranteed return for coffee farmers,” he said.
They urged respective Cabinet Secretaries for Agriculture and Finance to gazette the recent Coffee Regulations without further delay.
The bloc agreed to ensure speedy implementation of county projects which will act as stimulators of development within the region.
“In addition to the county projects, we will jointly lobby with the national government for quick implementation of promised projects and prioritisation of inter-county projects which dovetail into the national development agenda,” Kimemia said.
These include the revival of the old railway from Gilgil to Nyahururu and onwards to Nanyuki, and the revival of Thika to Nanyuki and eventual connection to the Lapsset project from Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu and back to Sagana as part of the National Vision 2030 programme.
The bloc wants to create policies and legislation which will standardise trade and commerce.
These will include interventions which seek to reduce, remove and ultimately eliminate trade barriers and multiple duplicated tariffs which hinder ease of doing business.