County assemblies in the North Rift region should expedite a policy framework to legitimize the North Rift Economic Bloc if the regional outfit is to live up to its billing as the game changer in economic growth.
A legal framework for Noreb will supplement efforts by individual counties and other development partners like the Kerio Valley Development Authority, which has economic growth initiatives in a few counties in the region.
Strengthening the bloc will create unity of the county governments to have one voice for mobilising resources for development programmes and have unity of purpose to address challenges of poverty, drought and banditry.
The banditry attacks in Kerio Valley have so far seen more than 100 people killed, including children and security officers. More than 1,600 people have been displaced from their homes, schools closed and thousands of livestock stolen from the residents.
On March 9, a section of leaders from the North Rift held a joint press briefing to address journalists at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi over the rise in banditry attacks in Kerio Valley.
Among the concerns raised by the leaders is the challenge facing security officers in tracing the criminals who are now employing guerilla tactics to counter the combined efforts of the multi-agency security team on the ground.
To bring the criminal activities by the bandits to an end in the most affected areas of Turkana, Samburu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo counties, the leaders pledged to push for approval of the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces to beat the criminals and bring order. The military was dispatched to only back up the National Police Service under the command of Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome.
The criminal activities by the daring bandits have led to a sad scenario where families have been forced to run away, lose property and stopped the economic and social development of the people.
As the government and leaders from the region strive to find a solution to the problem, North Rift leaders should on the other side enhance their unity and advocate the econ investment and also promote initiatives to foster peace.
For sustainable development, the leaders from the region should unite to revive and strengthen Noreb, which was established to create a partnership and benefit from an enhanced level playing field to boost trade and investment among the eight member counties in the Northern part of the Rift Valley.
The key purpose of the bloc was borne of the realisation that the region counties face similar challenges that require unity of purpose to find lasting solutions through harnessing their joint economic power, potentials and resources.
The objective also focused on the promotion of the region as an investment destination, increasing production, improving the quality of agriculture and promoting the region's potential in mining, sports and as a tourist destination, among others.
The bloc had opened doors for residents drawn from the eight member counties to do business and also foster international trade. The bloc's noble idea was seen by many as a fundamental step that could open up the region to investments in tourism and other sectors that boost economic development, the cohesion of the people and peace through economic empowerment and initiate multibillion-shillings projects transforming the economy of the region and people.
The bloc comprised Uasin Gishu, Samburu, Baringo, Turkana, Nandi, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. However, in 2022, some counties abandoned the bloc to join other regional trade blocs.
There were accusations on who to blame for the failures but it has been alleged that counties like Elgeyo Marakwet, which abandoned the bloc to join the Frontier Development Council that brings together marginalised counties, and Nandi left and joined the Lake Region Economic Bloc because of various reasons.
These include some counties casting doubts on their prospects of the partnership due to challenges in local revenue generation and management issues together with lack of a clear investment policy, and claims that the bloc had deviated from its key economic mandate and turned into a political outfit.
The objective of establishing the bloc was to woo local and international investors to tap business opportunities in the agriculturally rich region. The survival of the bloc is crucial to the residents of the region because of its ability to provide common investments opportunity in terms of agriculture and dairy production and a better market for the products locally and internally.
Through the bloc, the governors of the eight counties will unite not only to find ways to utilise available resources and allocation of resources to boost industrial development and create employment opportunities but also to address the other teething challenges affecting the people that need local solutions like banditry, cattle rusting and female genital mutilation.
Communication officer, Uasin Gishu county
