President William Ruto has assured counties that his government will support them to develop for the benefit of the country.
President Ruto, who was speaking when he officially opened the Kakamega International Investment Conference (KAIICO) on Wednesday, said his government would celebrate with counties the milestones they have made.
“We are here to celebrate the milestones that Kakamega County has achieved so far. Indeed, the 12 years of devolution have boosted the county to great heights. My government commits to ensuring that the county grows even further,” he said.
He observed that through counties, the country would achieve the bottom-up economic transformation.
“Devolution is hinged on three principals – one, that the counties are the epicentre of development, second, it provides an avenue for locally developed priorities to find their way into national development agenda and third, it offers more accountability and transparency,” President Ruto stated.
He lauded the county government for ensuring that residents feel the impact of the conference.
Governor Fernandes Barasa noted that the county’s vision aligns with the national one for economic development.
“As a county, when we boost production at the grassroots, we help the national government and the country achieve its development goals. This is what the bottom-up transformation is all about,” said Mr Barasa.
The Governor announced that through the conference, they had worked on 22 deals that are ready for signing, including one with Hydrobox Kenya Limited, a private firm that offers sustainable and renewable energy solutions.
Both the President and the Governor observed that Kakamega is ripe for investment, with the county government offering various tax incentives to investors.
Present at the event that attracted over 2,000 delegates were Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs minister Musalia Mudavadi, US Ambassador Meg Witman, Trade CS Rebecca Miano, Mining CS Salim Mvurya, AfCFTA secretary-general Wamkele Mene and several governors.
Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board is participating in the conference as a content partner. The Board’s leadership, led by Chairman Sande Oyolo and CEO Lilian Kimeto, met with Governor Fernandes Barasa and discussed ways to deepen partnerships with county governments.