At least 70 elected leaders from the Rift Valley have formed a 14-member technical committee to craft the region's economic and political agenda ahead of 2022 polls.
The team will in the next two weeks firm up what the leaders said would be the region's negotiations with Deputy President William Ruto.
The leaders who include five governors from the Rift Valley said they will then move to the grassroots to interact with Wananchi to popularise their agenda before holding discussions with Ruto.
"We don't want to assume that Ruto coming from Rift Valley and being in government he understands the needs of Rift Valley region," said Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok.
The governor said that like other regions which are pushing for broad-based negotiations with Ruto, they will be seeking a date with the deputy president.
"Ruto must tell us how he is going to solve the issues we shall be raising, if he will offer no convincing plan, then he would better allow us to look elsewhere," Nanok said.
The governor outlined agriculture, conservation, water, infrastructure as some of the issues that formed part of the agenda.
"We must start by ensuring that we have concrete issues that we shall negotiate for our people in this government and beyond 2022," he said.
Other governors present included Nandi's Stephen Sang, Bomet's Hillary Barchok, Uasin Gishu's Jackson Mandago and Baringo county boss Stanley Kiptis.
Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri said the Rift Valley will be a haven of peace in the 2022 polls and that leaders from the region will endeavour to ensure that.
"We in Rift Valley have the bride groom, we have agreed that we will remain peaceful," he said.
