Draft law seeks to scrap six regional agencies

What does the proposed Regional Development Authorities Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2026 seek to do?

The Regional Development Authorities Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2026 seeks to remove the legal framework governing all six regional development authorities. In practical terms, it would clear the way for those bodies to be dissolved. The proposal matters because these authorities coordinate development across regions that may extend beyond one county.

The National Assembly’s Committee on Regional Development is set to begin public participation. Kenyans are being invited to give their views before lawmakers proceed. The article does not list the authorities’ individual names, assets, staff or projects, so those details are not provided in the source.

The next immediate step is public participation. Views collected through that process will inform Parliament’s consideration of the Bill. If lawmakers approve it, the authorities’ legal status and future functions would need to be addressed through the legislation and any transition arrangements. The article does not state the proposed handover plan.

Which six regional development authorities would be dissolved if the Bill becomes law?

The provided article does not name the six authorities. Established public records identify them as the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority, Kerio Valley Development Authority, Lake Basin Development Authority, Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority, Ewaso Ng’iro South Development Authority and Coast Development Authority.

These bodies are commonly abbreviated as TARDA, KVDA, LBDA, ENNDA, ENSDA and CDA. They were created to coordinate development across defined regional areas, rather than within only one county. Their mandates have generally involved planning, infrastructure, resource use and economic development.

The Bill described in the article would seek to repeal the laws governing all six. The National Assembly committee will first conduct public participation, allowing Kenyans to comment. Because the source does not give the names, boundaries or separate mandates, those details come from established public knowledge rather than the article itself.

What powers, projects, employees, assets and responsibilities do these authorities currently control?

Regional development authorities generally operate as state corporations created to plan and implement development across several counties. Their work can include infrastructure, irrigation, water-related schemes, agriculture, energy, environmental management and support for regional economic activity. Exact powers differ between authorities.

Their practical control may include ongoing projects, offices, equipment, land, budgets, employees, contracts and records. They can also coordinate studies, partnerships and services within their designated regions. These arrangements are usually set by each authority’s establishing law and later government policy.

The supplied article gives none of those inventories. It only says a Bill would dissolve all six authorities and that public participation is planned. Therefore, the precise projects, staffing levels, assets, liabilities and legal responsibilities cannot be established from the source. Those matters would need clarification during public participation and any transition process Parliament creates.

Why were regional development authorities created, and what kinds of regions or shared resources were they designed to develop?

Kenya created regional development authorities to plan and coordinate development in geographical areas that cut across administrative boundaries. A single river basin, lake region, coastline or arid zone may require joint planning because water, transport, agriculture and environmental systems do not stop at county lines.

Their work has commonly covered shared resources and regional opportunities. Examples include river-basin development, irrigation, water infrastructure, agriculture, energy, environmental protection and economic projects. The aim was to combine planning and investment across several counties instead of treating each county’s section as a separate system.

The supplied article does not explain this history or identify the regions covered by each authority. It only reports that all six may be dissolved under the proposed Bill. The historical purpose therefore comes from established public knowledge. The current debate asks whether those regional functions should continue through another structure.

What would happen to the authorities' ongoing projects and services if Parliament approves their dissolution?

If Parliament approves dissolution, the authorities could no longer continue as independent legal bodies under their existing laws. Their projects and services would need a formal transition. That could involve transferring responsibilities, assets, employees, contracts, records and liabilities to ministries, counties or another institution.

For example, an unfinished regional infrastructure project could be assigned to a ministry or county, with funding and contracts moved to the new implementing body. A service currently coordinated across counties would also need a clear operator. Without such arrangements, projects could face delays, duplicated work or uncertainty over maintenance.

The article does not say whether the Bill contains a handover timetable or names successor institutions. It only says the committee will begin public participation. That process is therefore important. Kenyans can raise concerns about continuity, employment, unfinished work and accountability before Parliament decides the final framework.

How would dissolving these authorities change the roles of national government ministries and county governments in regional development?

Dissolving the authorities would shift responsibility unless Parliament creates a replacement structure. National ministries could take over projects involving national policy, major infrastructure, shared water resources or several counties. County governments could handle functions assigned to them by the Constitution, especially local planning and county-level services.

A cross-county irrigation or water scheme illustrates the issue. Counties might manage local works, while a national ministry coordinates the shared system. That arrangement would require agreements on funding, standards, maintenance and dispute resolution. Simply abolishing an authority would not automatically settle those practical questions.

The supplied article does not identify successor ministries, counties or functions. It only reports the proposed repeal and planned public participation. The final effect therefore depends on Parliament’s wording and any transition law. Public views may focus on avoiding gaps, protecting ongoing projects and clarifying accountability between the two levels of government.

How does Kenya's system of devolution determine which level of government should manage development projects that cross county boundaries?

Kenya’s devolution system divides responsibilities between national and county governments through the Constitution, especially its Fourth Schedule. Counties handle county planning and many local services. The national government handles national policy and functions whose scale or character is national. Neither level should take over a function merely because a project crosses a boundary.

A shared river or regional road may involve different responsibilities. Counties can manage local works within their jurisdictions, while the national government may coordinate a national resource, major network or common standard. The two levels can use intergovernmental agreements to plan, finance, build and maintain connected projects.

The supplied article does not discuss devolution, constitutional schedules or the allocation of regional projects. This explanation uses established constitutional principles. If the authorities are dissolved, Parliament would need to align any transfer with those assignments. Clear financing, coordination and accountability would be essential for projects spanning counties.

Key Facts:

📌 The Bill seeks to repeal laws governing six regional development authorities.

📌 The National Assembly Committee on Regional Development will lead public participation.

📌 Kenyans have been invited to give their views on the proposal.

📌 The six authorities are identified here using established public records, not the supplied article.

📌 They include TARDA, KVDA, LBDA, ENNDA, ENSDA and CDA.

📌 Public participation is scheduled before Parliament considers dissolution.

📌 The article does not list the authorities’ powers, projects, employees or assets.