The Senate, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) have called for urgent reforms to improve county competitiveness, reduce bureaucratic barriers and create a more attractive environment for investment and job creation.

Speaking during a roundtable between the Senate Liaison Committee and KEPSA in Naivasha, Clerk of the Senate Mr Jeremiah Nyegenye said the forum had become an important platform for shaping policies and legislation that influence business growth and livelihoods in counties.

Mr Nyegenye, whose speech was delivered by Deputy Clerk Ms. Eunice Gichangi, said the Senate's legislative agenda remains focused on easing the cost of doing business, strengthening fiscal decentralisation, promoting manufacturing and agribusiness and supporting climate resilient and digitally enabled county development.

He noted that previous engagements between the Senate and KEPSA had resulted in key proposals, including the development of a prompt payment system to address delayed settlement of county government bills and the reintroduction of legislation aimed at tackling multiple taxation by counties.

Mr Nyegenye said efforts were at an advanced stage to operationalise a Senate-KEPSA working group that will monitor implementation of agreed reforms and ensure resolutions translate into measurable improvements in the business environment.

He highlighted the private sector's contribution to the development of key legislation, including the Climate Change Act and the proposed Artificial Intelligence Bill, saying continued engagement was necessary to ensure emerging laws promote innovation and competitiveness while protecting consumers, workers and the environment.

The Clerk said the roundtable would focus on strengthening value chains, harmonising licensing regimes, expanding digital innovation, improving intergovernmental relations, rationalising county taxes and levies and enhancing access to climate finance.

KEPSA Chairman Mr James Mwangi said counties had become the country's primary centres of economic activity and that their competitiveness was now a national economic priority.

While acknowledging gains made under devolution, including growth of local economies and expanded infrastructure, Mr Mwangi said many counties were yet to fully exploit opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, mining, technology and the green economy.

He said investors were attracted to environments characterised by policy predictability, efficient institutions and consistent regulation, warning that overlapping regulations, multiple levies and administrative delays continued to increase the cost of doing business.

Mr Mwangi urged policymakers to focus on implementing existing laws and policies rather than creating new frameworks, arguing that the benefits of reforms must be felt by businesses and citizens at county level.

He also emphasised the growing importance of digital transformation, saying counties that embrace technology would be better placed to attract investment, improve service delivery and create employment opportunities for young people.

At the same time, he called for stronger cybersecurity, data protection and digital trust frameworks to support innovation and investor confidence.

He identified infrastructure, efficient logistics systems, affordable energy, water access and reliable digital connectivity as critical drivers of county competitiveness. In addition, he stressed the need to strengthen agricultural value chains, promote value addition and build resilience against climate-related shocks that continue to affect productivity and livelihoods.

He used the opportunity to challenge the Senate to champion regulatory harmonisation, accountability and efficient resource utilisation, saying strong institutions and good governance were essential for competitive counties.

Representing the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Programme Coordinator Mr Victor Oteku said Kenya's efforts to accelerate economic growth and attract investment would depend heavily on making counties more efficient, competitive and business friendly.

Mr Oteku said that although significant progress had been made in developing policy and legislative frameworks, implementation challenges remained, particularly in licensing, regulatory compliance and the overall ease of doing business.

He said the Senate-KEPSA partnership demonstrated the value of constructive public-private dialogue in identifying solutions to barriers that hinder investment, job creation and economic transformation.

Oteku who delivered the message on behalf of Mr. Mathias Kamp, Country Director, KAS Kenya urged participants to focus on practical recommendations and strong implementation mechanisms while working closely with county governments and the Council of Governors to ensure reforms are translated into action.

Participants in the engagement agreed that stronger collaboration between government, the private sector and development partners would be critical in reducing red tape, improving the investment climate and unlocking the full economic potential of devolution.