This summit, which also brought together technical teams drawn from the counties and external experts charged with responsibility of drafting the strategy, seeks to fast track the completion and eventual implementation of the blueprint.

“We are banking on our comparative and competitive advantages, and our ability to jointly mobilize resources for the common projects. We can’t afford to wait any longer,” His Excellency Governor (Dr.) Moses Kiarie Badilisha, also the bloc’s secretary, said in his remarks.

Later, Governor Badilisha joined other county heads in a meeting with the Senate’s Finance committee to lobby for more inclusive and responsive method of revenue allocation and qualification to benefit from the Equalization Fund.

“Let the parameters used to identify benefitting counties be supported by real dynamics and true demographics. To have some counties, like Nyandarua, omitted from the list is troubling bearing our economic and historical position and disadvantages in terms of development,” Governor Badilisha noted in his address to the committee.