The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Moses Wetang'ula has called for collaboration between Parliament and the private sector to accelerate Kenya's economic growth.

Speaking in Mombasa during the official opening of the 8th Speaker's Roundtable themed "From Policy to Practice: Delivering through Business and Government Partnership."

Dr. Wetang'ula reaffirmed Parliament's commitment to forge stronger ties with private sector in advancing Kenya's economic growth agenda. “We are open to discussion & sharing ideas to make this country better. In an informal meeting I told the captains of industry we will have periodic reviews ahead of the annual roundtable so that every quarter Committees sit with KEPSA to appraise each other on progress.”

The Speaker emphasized the nation's potential, asserting a competitive edge on the continent. “I have visited each and every of the 54 countries and can tell you none is better than Kenya in many ways. The UNDP says we have the strongest and most developed human resource on the entire continent of Africa,” he stated, even as he urged all stakeholders to “be patriotic, we must bear fidelity to our national interests, and we must fight the vice of corruption in our midst.”

Addressing the status of the current tax framework, the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung'wah, issued a direct challenge to the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to co-develop a predictable fiscal environment ahead of the upcoming budget cycle.

Hon. Kimani Ichung'wah said, “We have engaged over the years in matters taxation in the country we must have predictability therefore as we begun the 2026/27 Finance Bill process I want to challenge KEPSA again to partner with Parliament and the National Treasury to develop a multi-year revenue and tax framework which will give investors confidence reduce uncertainty and enhance our competitiveness as a country.”

The Majority Leader also stressed the imperative of unlocking domestic investment to power the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), urging collaboration to identify and dismantle regulatory barriers that restrict access to credit and innovation financing for local investors and SMEs. He concluded with an optimistic outlook: “It is indeed possible for Kenya to propel itself to a first-world economy within this generation," he added.

KEPSA Chairperson, Mr. Jas Bedi called for the overhaul of the country's labour laws to boost productivity and competitiveness.

"Our labour laws over the last 50 years have been static we need to move from minimum wage to living wage, the two institutions need to work together. We are a large importing economy and we need to move to an exporting economy. How can [we] facilitate a balance of trade," Mr. Jas Bedi pointed out

Dr. Bedi also noted that Central Bank efforts to stabilize the shilling were “still not translating to the market,” necessitating a comprehensive review of the national macro/micro economic dynamic.

Weighing in on the implementation challenge was further elaborated by the Leader of the Minority Party, Hon. Junet Mohammed, argued that failure to operationalize enacted laws creates an unfavourable climate. “Implementation gaps in critical legislation such as the Energy Act (2019), the Data Protection Act (2019), and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (2015) create an unfavorable investment climate.”

Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Samuel Njoroge, affirmed Parliament’s commitment to providing a supportive legal framework, noting that the National Assembly recognizes that the success of any economy is “anchored on a predictable and supportive legal framework.”

“Through my office, we have ensured that engagements such as this Roundtable are well documented, tracked, and followed up for action. This approach guarantees that commitments made here translate into tangible outcomes, supporting the Rt. Hon Speaker’s vision of a results-oriented Parliament that listens, learns, and leads through partnership.”

The Parliament - KEPSA Roundtable is an annual platform for structured dialogue between lawmakers and the business community.