On 23^rd and 24^th February 2022, KEPSA participated in the Devolution Working Group Retreat at Simba Lodge, Naivasha. The retreat aimed at developing the program areas to be included in the fourth Medium-Term Plan (MTP IV). The event, which was organized by the Ministry of Devolution (MOD), involved key devolution stakeholders such as the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), Council of Governors (COG), Intergovernmental Relations and Technical Committee (IGRTC) and the Controller of Budget (COB).

The objective of the forum was to collate the institution’s proposed programmes and projects for the next five years, to be included under the MTP IV. The key submissions by KEPSA which were subsequently included in the draft MTP IV and Devolution Sector Plan included:

1. Design and implementation of the County Competitiveness Index (CCI), to be considered as a substantive program under the newly developed Kenya Devolution Support Program (KDSP II).
2. Capacity building of Private sector on topical policies and promotion of intra and inter-county trade through the Private Sector Devolution Support Program (PSDSP) and the SDGs Investment Maps.
3. Entrenchment/operationalization of the Public Private Dialogue Mechanisms between the apex private sector associations and Devolution Agencies
4. Regional Clustering of Counties based on AEZs and comparative advantages to enhance private sector engagements
5. Rationalization and development of pro-business policies and legislations through adoption of the Omnibus Law Strategy
6. Promotion of peer learning of devolution related policies and legislations through institutional strengthening of KEPSA’s knowledge management center, COG`s Maarifa Centre and MoDP’s Knowledge Centre to corroborate, triangulate and act as repositories for the Omnibus Law Strategy, subsidiary legislations and e-regulations
7. Capacity building of the private sector to enhance uptake of PPP modalities and enhance FDI
8. Harmonizing and Fastracking the enactment of the County Government Revenue Raising Process Bill, 2021 and the County Licensing (Uniform Procedures) Bill (Senate Bills No. 32 of 2020) to curb arbitrary introduction of levies/taxes/charges and establish standard uniform procedures for licensing by county governments, respectively.