Review Public-Private Partnership Act now- Governors

Kericho governor Paul Chepkwony speaks at Kericho Green Stadium. [File, Standard]

Governors want the Public Private Partnership Act 2013 reviewed to remove bottlenecks they say have hindered investment in counties.

The county bosses, who spoke at the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) investment conference in Bomet, asked the Government to relax investment regulations in the regions.

LREB brings together 14 counties in the western region and parts of Rift Valley.

“Six years down the line, not a single partnership has been entered into between counties and private investors because of certain provisions in the law,” Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony said yesterday.

Since 2013, a number of governors have made numerous foreign trips to woo investors to their respective counties, but none has been able to attract any due to regulations.

Hindered investment

Some governors left office after signing multi-billion shilling deals that never materialised because of the Act that county bosses said hindered investment.

Prof Chepkwony said it was almost impossible to implement the law as it is due to stringent regulations that make the process lengthy and tedious.

"I tried entering into a deal with a private company called Bluetechs but I could not go through the 21 stages stipulated in the law,” Chepkwony said.

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said the law had impacted negatively on industrial development because it had demands that were difficult to fulfil.

"The Government must pass laws that encourage public-private partnerships and attract investment in counties,” he said.

Nandi's Stephen Sang noted that since the Act came into force, not a single county has initiated any project through a public-private partnership.

Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga asked the Government to allow counties to make their own public-private partnership laws.

Trade PS Walter Oyugi said the Government would amend laws that had slowed development in the counties.