Involve residents, elected leaders in regional bloc - Ongwae

Kisii governor James Ongwae on Monday told his colleagues in the Lake Region Economic Bloc to involve residents and elected leaders when implementing policies.

He said in a statement on Monday, this will make them own the policies.

"In Kisii, we are engaging with the local leadership, and various forums including the Kisii Council of Elders, the youth, women's groups and other focal units in a bid to make LREB a people-driven initiative," he said.

The bloc is set to hold a summit on January 10 and 11 in Kisii town. The summit will be led by Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya. 

Fourteen counties surrounding Lake Victoria are part of the bloc. They are Kakamega, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, Bomet, and Bungoma.

Others are Kericho, Busia, Nandi, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga and Kisii.

Ongwae said the summit will discuss issues of economic interest to the region "with the aim of uplifting the lives of over 14 million inhabitants of our region."

Since 2018, the regional economic outfit has been pushing for the establishment of a regional bank to support businesses in the counties.

Read: Fourteen governors set aside Sh1.3bn for lake region bank

Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa has previously supported counties coming together to form regional economic blocs as a means to economic viability.

Ongwae said his county's achievements was aligned with the bloc's economic vision and pledged support for the initiative. 

"It is my conviction that the regional bloc presents alternatives that can augment the achievements we have made as individual counties and create an expansive market for our people," he said. 

The governor said Kisii had ratified the legal instruments required to build the economic bloc through legislation already processed by in the county assembly to make LREB a reality.

Read also: Lake bloc’s Sh2.8 billion bank in limbo as MCAs fail to ratify