Voi: The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kenya’s six Regional Economic Blocs, solidifying a strategic partnership to enhance public-private dialogue and economic development across counties.
According to Kenya News Agency, the agreement, which adds to KEPSA’s existing dialogue mechanisms with the public sector, such as the Presidential Economic Dialogue, the Speakers Roundtable with the National Assembly and the Senate, and the Chief Justice Roundtable, was signed at Taita Taveta National Polytechnic, Voi, Taita Taveta, during the 6th Jumuiya Agribusiness and Blue Economy Investment Conference (JABEIC).
The MoU, witnessed by Kilifi Governor and Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani Chairperson Gideon Mung’aro, marks a pivotal step in devolving KEPSA’s operations to counties through the six economic blocs. Mung’aro expressed gratitude, underscoring the partnership’s potential to drive inclusive development, reduce poverty levels, increase job opportun
ities, and boost private sector investments in the counties.
Governor Mung’aro highlighted the partnership’s potential to attract investors to the counties, emphasizing that aligning all economic blocs makes them collectively stronger than individual counties or regions like Nairobi. He stated that the collaboration would ease investor access to counties and open new opportunities for economic development.
KEPSA CEO Carole Kariuki emphasized the partnership’s importance, noting that counties with similar economic challenges and opportunities could benefit from collective engagement. She added that KEPSA would establish regional representatives for each bloc to coordinate business engagement with county governments, enhancing efficiency and reducing duplication of efforts.
Kariuki stated that this marks a defining moment in unlocking Kenya’s economic potential through devolution, highlighting that since its inception in 2013, counties have contributed approximately 60% of Kenya’s GDP. She emphasized that em
bracing collaboration and innovation across all sectors could transform counties into beacons of progress.
This initiative builds on KEPSA’s successes with various economic blocs, such as the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani, North Rift Economic Bloc (NOREB), and Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB). These collaborations have led to climate-resilient agricultural practices in coastal counties, maize value-addition initiatives in NOREB, and healthcare and eco-tourism advancements in LREB.
For instance, partnerships with Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani have increased crop exports by 15% and improved food security for over 50,000 households through irrigation investments. Similarly, NOREB collaborations have reduced post-harvest losses by 20% and promoted renewable energy through solar-powered irrigation systems benefiting 10,000 farmers.
The partnership with the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) in advancing healthcare and tourism established a regional health fund that improved healthcare access across member counties by 3
0%, ensuring that more citizens receive essential medical services. It also promoted eco-tourism initiatives that increased visitor numbers to key attractions like Lake Victoria by 25%, generating significant revenue for local economies.
Jackson Ole Mpario, CEO of the MAA Economic Bloc, noted that the private sector is driving Kenya’s economic growth and emphasized the importance of working together to increase the competitiveness of the six economic blocs.
Future engagements within the MoU will align local development goals with national priorities by leveraging real-time data-driven solutions facilitated by the Market Intelligence Hub. This hub, a project by GIZ’s Digital Transformation Centre Kenya, in partnership with KEPSA, aims to centralize data on public sector bankable projects, enabling informed decision-making and maximizing investment opportunities.
KEPSA’s technical partner Brian Odome highlighted the significance of the Market Intelligence Hub, explaining that it addresses a long-standing cha
llenge of inadequate data on investment opportunities, enabling counties to showcase bankable projects and attract funding.
The agreement is a premise for the roll-out of the KEPSA-County Regional Economic Roundtable, a Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) platform that will convene quarterly, rotating among the various County Economic Blocs to foster targeted discussions on regional priorities, challenges, and opportunities.
KEPSA will appoint representatives in the six regions to coordinate businesses’ engagement in the regional economic bloc roundtables and public-private dialogues. National issues raised by the blocs will be presented during national roundtable platforms and closely monitored to ensure progress, accountability, and measurable impact.
Eng. Patrick Obath, Chairperson of KEPSA Foundation and International Chamber of Commerce- Kenya, stated that KEPSA’s partnership with the regional economic blocs will promote the establishment of common policies across the counties, facilitating increased invest
ments from the private sector.
As part of the event, KEPSA’s social arm, KEPSA Foundation, planted over 500 trees at the Taita Taveta National Polytechnic. This initiative, conducted with Dow Chemicals and Childfund, aims to regreen and establish orchards in schools within six counties, enhancing nutrition, increasing tree cover, and promoting economic empowerment.
