By Sandra Blessings
The proposal by the government to dissolve the regional development authorities may run into a roadblock, with residents instead asking a House committee to align the six regional authorities with the law.
The Cabinet had proposed the dissolution of the Coast Development Authority (CDA), the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA), the Ewaso Ng’iro South Development Authority and the Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority.
Last week, the Departmental Committee on Regional Development commenced public participation on the proposed Regional Development Authorities Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2026, which seeks to dissolve all six regional development authorities.
The repeal was intended to wind up the institutions, which have already fulfilled the mandates for which they were established, while aligning national development functions with the Fourth Schedule.
Furthermore, eliminating the authorities is expected to ease pressure on the national budget while improving efficiency, accountability and service delivery through consolidation under existing institutions.
But in the North Rift, residents of five counties benefiting from Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) projects strongly opposed a legislative proposal seeking to wind up six regional development authorities and transfer their mandates to the National Treasury.
They said the Authority had transformed the region since its inception. The residents warned that scrapping KVDA would deny these counties ongoing growth.
They added that transferring the mandates to the National Treasury violates the spirit of constitutional devolution.
Mr Mark Meut, who heads the Wei Irrigation Project in West Pokot, said a move to scrap the regional authorities would be unfair to the communities relying on their services.
“We are among the biggest beneficiaries of KVDA. There’s no way the mandates of these authorities overlap with the functions of county governments as argued by the proponents of this Bill. These RDAs are complementary,” he argued.
The residents shared their views during a public participation forum held in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet, regarding the Regional Development Authorities Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2026.
The forum brought together residents from Baringo, Samburu, Turkana, West Pokot and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties—areas where KVDA operates completed or ongoing projects.
The exercise marked the first phase of collecting public views across regions served by the six authorities.
The Bill is sponsored by the Leader of the Majority Party, Kimani Ichung’wah. If enacted, the National Treasury and the Public Service Commission (PSC) will absorb the major operations, staff and balance sheets of all six regional development authorities.
The proposed repeal aims to wind up the institutions on the grounds that they have fulfilled their original mandates, while aligning national development functions with the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. Furthermore, eliminating the authorities is intended to ease national budget pressures and boost efficiency, accountability and service delivery through consolidation within existing institutions.
Residents’ Views
The residents urged lawmakers to empower them to generate their own resources, highlighting their immense potential to uplift local communities.
Among the key benefits cited were enhanced peace and security among neighbouring communities, which no longer clash over scarce resources, alongside improved food security, women’s and youth empowerment, and overall living standards.
One Joel K., a resident of Baringo County, told the Committee that KVDA’s interventions had helped improve local livestock breeding, boosting daily milk yields per cow from half a litre to 2–3 litres.
He urged the Committee to either shelve or postpone the proposed scrapping, pointing out that KVDA manages substantial ongoing projects.
“KVDA has made a mark here. Their projects are cost effective and over the years have always been completed on time. We cannot say the same of the national or county governments’ projects,” he stated.
Residents also expressed concern over provisions in the Bill, sponsored by the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, which direct the Public Service Commission (PSC) to absorb staff from the six regional authorities. They argued that this plan is impractical.
They noted that only a fraction of KVDA employees serve on permanent and pensionable terms, meaning that those on long-term or casual contracts, along with thousands who earn an indirect living through the Authority, face a loss of livelihood.
Rather than dissolving the entities, residents called on lawmakers to draft legislation that aligns the establishing Acts with constitutional provisions.
“Parliament is the supreme law-making body. It can make any law to correct that which does not align with the Constitution,” argued Turkana County resident Lawrence Ekorapen.
“We want the Members to fight for the existence of KVDA with the same zeal as they have fought for the existence of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF),” he said.
Adding their voices to the debate, Committee Members led by Chairperson Hon. Peter Lochakapong assured the public that their input would shape the Committee’s final report to the House, emphasising that the community’s message had been clearly heard.
“We are just at the centre of a law-making process. I want to assure you that the secretariat has captured all your views and they will be processed as they were shared,” he reassured the attendees.
