Counties that form the North Rift Economic Bloc on Friday signed a cooperation agreement that ratified formation of Noreb Bill.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang who chairs the bloc said the Bill will be presented to County Assemblies for enactment to help member counties realise their full potential.
The resolution was passed during a forum held in Ciala Resort in Kisumu.
"We have therefore come up with a Noreb Bill–2023 that will be adopted and ratified by the various county governments," the governor said.
Sang said the bloc seeks to build on the competitive advantages of the differing economies of the eight member counties through fostering intra-regional trade as well as taking advantage of economies of scale from the various counties.
These are the counties of Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia.
"The bloc will act as a one-stop shop for investors seeking opportunities in the region," Sang said in a statement on Twitter.
NOREB has been in existence for more than five years without a legal framework.
The governors discussed pressing issues affecting the counties among them anchoring NOREB into law and insecurities in the volatile areas like Kerio Valley.
They said integration will enable individual counties that are sometimes too small to leverage economies of scale to jointly attract and implement large projects.
"The integration shall also be exercised in a way that supports national economic policies, our local economic activities across the county boundaries and enhance national mobility of goods, services, capital or labour hence spur growth and transform lives of our people," Sang led.
