KITUI, KENYA: On 2018-11-21, the governors of Kitui, Machakos and Makueni said they wanted to create a regional financial institution under the South Eastern Kenya Economic bloc (SEKEB) to support trade and investment in Ukambani.
Charity Ngilu, Alfred Mutua and Kivutha Kibwana said the bloc was being revived to pool county resources, use shared strengths and speed up socio-economic development, employment and wealth creation across the three counties and beyond.
The leaders said SEKEB had remained inactive since March 2016, but argued that the region still needed a common economic platform because the counties face similar conditions and development problems.
Ngilu said the plan was non-political and was meant to open markets for local goods, improve value addition and strengthen food security through better agriculture. She added that the inaugural forum was meant to explain the SEKEB idea and its goals to leaders, business people and professionals.
She also said the counties intended to form a financial institution because they had resources, but had kept relying on institutions that did not understand the specific challenges facing residents in the region.
Mutua said erratic rainfall remained one of the biggest obstacles to production because it made harvests unpredictable. He added that the three counties already had the basic ingredients for production, including land, capital, labour and technology.
“We want to call upon all leaders, churches and professionals to join the initiative without minding their faith and parties of affiliation. We want to speak in one voice as Kamba community,” said Mutua.
Kibwana said the counties agreed to work together because they had a great deal in common.
The proposal was presented as a way to give the semi-arid region access to cheaper credit and a stronger economic base for trade.
