County Assemblies in the North Rift Region are expected to start debating on the proposed NOREB Bill in the coming few months.
Assembly Speaker’s North Rift caucus chairperson Phillip Muigei says the Bill has already being formally tabled in respective County Assemblies and committed to relevant committees.
Speaking to journalists in Eldoret town, Muigei who doubles up as the Uasin Gishu County Assembly Speaker said the Bill will be subjected to public participation before a recommendation is tabled for MCAs to debate.
“The NOREB Bill is already in the county assemblies, committed the committee of devolution. The committee will seat, engage the public to collect their views before they engage other MCAs,” Muigei said.
NOREB legal framework
NOREB Bill seeks to establish a legal framework under which the North Rift Economic Bloc (NOREC) will be operating on – a move that is expected to give it a new breath.
The bloc has been operational for over six years, but it has faced financial hurdles with the Auditor General raising audit queries over past funds the counties in the region had committed to its operations.
However, the NOREB bill seeks to put in place structures that among others provides for the manner in which counties will support the blocs operations.
“We are on track and maybe in the coming weeks, we will be able to table that bill,” noted the North Rift Speaker’s caucus chairperson.
NOREB bring together 8 counties which include Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Baringo, Samburu, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Turkana.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang is the current bloc’s chairperson, a role he took over from former Governor Jackson Mandago.
Sang chaired an extra-ordinary summit for the bloc which ratified the Bill in May 2023.
The meeting also saw the county bosses from the region sign a cooperation agreement, which activated the Bill now before the County Assemblies.
