Residents from five North Rift counties have strongly opposed the proposed dissolution of the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), warning that winding up the agency will reverse decades of peace, economic, and food security gains.
Speaking during a public participation hearing conducted by the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Regional Development, chaired by Sigor MP, Peter Lochakapong, in Iten, stakeholders from Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, and Elgeyo Marakwet rejected the Regional Development Authorities Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2026.
The residents said instead of disbanding the body, parliament should amend the KVDA Act to align it with the Constitution.
They cautioned that reverting KVDA’s assets and management back to the National Treasury directly undermines the spirit of devolution, arguing that the action would slash the region’s share of the “national cake”, forcing pastoralist communities back into fierce, resource-based conflicts.
Drawing parallels to the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), Lawrence Ekatapan from Turkana challenged Members of Parliament to robustly defend regional authorities just as they protected NG-CDF.
They reminded the parliamentary committee that regional bodies were historically established to develop marginalised, arid areas that were left out by the Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965, which heavily concentrated national investments only in highly productive regions.
The Chairman of the Weiwei Irrigation Scheme, Mike Meut, dismissed claims in the bill that KVDA’s roles overlap with those of county governments.
“There is no duplication of functions,” Meut stated, adding, “KVDA has instead been complementing what is being done by the counties.”
He cited the Weiwei Irrigation Scheme as a vital pillar that has provided employment to thousands of residents through commercial agriculture and drastically improved regional food security.
He said the Authority’s projects have also served as a cornerstone for security in the volatile Kerio Valley.
Milka Platum from West Pokot also testified how a KVDA established a honey processing factory and successfully rehabilitated reformed youth.
“Youths who were initially involved in cattle rustling are now harvesting honey and selling it to women like me, improving both security and economic empowerment,” Platum said, adding that a reliable contract with the authority provides local women with a steady, regular source of income.
While the Bill promises that all permanent staff will be absorbed by the Public Service Commission (PSC), residents warned that the piece of legislation completely ignores the thousands of casual workers, farmers, and traders who derive their livelihoods indirectly from these regional projects.
They added that KVDA’s water provision projects through construction of dams, establishment of water pans and sinking of boreholes in these Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) have been crucial in providing water for domestic use and livestock, effectively suppressing traditional water-driven conflicts.
Former KVDA Managing Director David Kimosop argued that regional authorities have the capacity to operate independently and reduce pressure on the National Treasury, noting that the KVDA Plaza in Eldoret alone generates Sh140 million annually in rental income.
Kimosop urged the government to return the Turkwel Power Generating Project, which was previously taken over by KenGen, back to KVDA, saying the revenues generated from the electricity project should be ploughed back into local development.
He noted that while the Turkwel project generates power and stores water, it remains incomplete because it fails to supply water to residents in the lower basin for vital irrigation.
Kimosop said the initiative by KVDA to provide farmers with mango seedlings will see increased growth of the fruit, which will attract investors in fruit processing to the area.
By Alice Wanjiru
