Leaders from western Kenya have defended the Lake Region Economic Bloc after two Kakamega residents moved to court to stop the county from implementing the arrangement and releasing Sh200 million to it.
The dispute, reported on November 21, 2018, centres on the Kakamega County Lake Region Economic Bloc Act, 2018, which the petitioners say was passed unlawfully and without proper public participation. Governor Wycliffe Oparanya assented to the law on August 29, 2018 after the Kakamega County Assembly debated and approved the bill in August 2018.
Mr Boniface Manda and Musa Ekaya, who are officials of Bunge la Haki Usawa na Maendeleo, want the court to stop Kakamega County Government from contributing the money to the regional bloc. They argue that the county is not legally allowed to make financial commitments to other parties in the manner adopted.
The two also say the speed of the bloc’s operations raises concern and could end up serving a few individuals rather than taxpayers. Mr Manda said he was not against the bloc itself, but insisted that the process must follow the Constitution.
“We want things done in the right manner. We want leaders to follow the Constitution,” said Mr Manda.
He added that the county should focus on urgent local priorities, including sugarcane farming, where farmers, he said, continue to suffer from poor service delivery.
On the other side, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa backed the bloc, describing economic blocs as one of the useful ideas introduced since devolution began. He said the initiative should be supported by leaders and not derailed.
“The formation of the economic blocs is one of the fruitful ideas since devolution came to existence in Kenya. The blocs will turn around the economies of the counties and should be supported by all leaders and nobody should derail the their implementation,” said Mr Wamalwa.
Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi also opposed the court move, saying blocking the bloc would set the country back. He said the bloc is meant to pool resources, improve economies of scale and help revive cane industries that have collapsed in the region.
“The objective of the bloc is to leverage the economies of scale and share resources to uplift the livelihoods of the communities within the said counties. It is spearheading the revival of cane industries in the region which have collapsed. Anyone blocking it is an enemy of development,” he said.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Philip Kutima said the Sh200 million was already included in the county budget after public participation forums were held across the 12 sub-counties before the budget was ratified by the assembly. He said one of the sessions in Mumias West Sub-County was disrupted by the same people who later went to court.
“In Mumias West Sub-County, the session was disrupted by the same people who have gone to court. It is unfortunate, that we have people who are always out to block development,” said Prof Kutima.
County Attorney Moses Sande said the county government had not yet been served with orders stopping the money from going to the LREB.
The petitioners want Kakamega County Government barred from taking part in LREB activities until residents are involved in the decision-making process. They also argue that the county’s planned contribution should instead be directed to other pressing needs that would directly benefit locals.
The Lake Region Economic Bloc is made up of 14 member counties, and the Sh200 million contribution is tied to a plan to buy controlling stakes from one of the local banks. Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who chairs the bloc, is spearheading the move.
