Deputy President Kithure Kindiki is set to oversee a special meeting on County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) on Wednesday, as the government moves to accelerate the completion and operationalisation of the projects.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, will bring together officials from seven priority counties to assess the status of infrastructure required to support the parks and agree on measures to facilitate their timely completion and commissioning.
The seven counties are Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Garissa, Wajir and Migori.
The meeting was directed by the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) during its 30th Ordinary Session held at the Office of the Deputy President at Karen Residence in Nairobi on Monday.
The Council directed that a specific CAIPs meeting be convened with the seven counties to deliberate on the “enabler infrastructure status, commissioning and operationalization” of their respective parks.
It will also provide a platform for the national and county governments to agree on actions required to ensure the projects are completed and commissioned on time.
The meeting comes after IBEC directed the National Treasury and the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, working with the Office of the Deputy President and the Council of Governors, to engage Parliament over funding for the remaining CAIPs.
The Council wants Parliament to reinstate Sh3.25 billion allocated under the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill (CGAAB), 2026.
The allocation is intended to support 13 remaining County Aggregation and Industrial Parks.
The funding question is expected to remain a key issue as the government seeks to advance the CAIPs programme across the country.
The special meeting will, however, focus on the seven priority counties and the specific requirements needed to move their projects towards commissioning.
IBEC's resolution places emphasis on enabling infrastructure, suggesting that the meeting will examine the facilities and services required before the parks can become fully operational.
The Council also directed the two levels of government to work together on the implementation of the projects.
The CAIPs programme is part of the government's broader effort to promote industrial and economic activity at the county level. The projects are expected to provide infrastructure that can support value addition and manufacturing activities within counties.
Kindiki, who chairs IBEC, signed the communiqué together with Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, the chairperson of the Council of Governors.
The Council also urged the Senate to fast-track the conclusion of the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2026, to facilitate the timely disbursement of resources to counties.
The developments place renewed attention on the financing and implementation of CAIPs as the national and county governments seek to address outstanding infrastructure requirements.
Tomorrow's 7am meeting is therefore expected to bring the seven counties together with relevant national government agencies to assess progress, identify gaps and agree on actions needed for the completion and commissioning of their respective industrial parks.
The meeting will also test the level of preparedness of the seven counties to operationalise the projects once the required infrastructure is in place.
