The 2nd Annual Regulatory Authorities and Agencies (RAAs) Conference convened at the University of Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County from April 28th to 30th, 2025. The high-level forum brought together top leadership, including Principal Secretaries and senior officials from across all regulatory bodies in Kenya, to review progress made since the inaugural conference in April 2024 and to lay out a renewed roadmap for advancing good governance, service delivery, and institutional innovation.
Regulatory Authorities and Agencies (RAAs) play a pivotal role in ensuring public service standards are upheld, processes are transparent, and the needs of citizens are addressed efficiently. The conference provided a critical platform for dialogue, collaboration, and collective reflection among key stakeholders tasked with maintaining integrity and efficiency across various sectors of governance.
The conference was led by the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Mr. Felix Koskei. In his opening address, he emphasized the importance of regulatory institutions in reinforcing government priorities such as citizen-centric service delivery, digital transformation, and ethical governance. He challenged RAAs to go beyond compliance and embrace innovation as a tool for responsive and effective regulation.
Participants took stock of the achievements since the first RAAs conference, which was hailed for establishing a baseline for collaboration across agencies. Among the areas reviewed were regulatory reforms aimed at reducing bureaucratic red tape, improving inter-agency coordination, and embedding data-driven decision-making processes. The gains made in enhancing institutional efficiency and accountability were acknowledged, but so were the challenges particularly in areas where overlap, duplication, or gaps in regulation persist.
A key focus of the conference was the development of new strategies to harmonize the operations of regulatory bodies with national development agendas. Presentations and working sessions explored how RAAs can align their mandates with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Experts highlighted the role of digital tools, policy coherence, and citizen engagement in enhancing the relevance and responsiveness of regulatory agencies.
Discussions also tackled cross-cutting issues such as climate change regulation, food and drug safety, market oversight, and professional standards. These are areas where effective regulation not only supports economic growth but also protects the public from harm and safeguards national interests. Delegates underscored the need for constant adaptation in a fast-evolving global and technological landscape.
The conference provided an opportunity for peer learning, with agencies sharing best practices in risk-based regulation, regulatory sandboxes for innovation, and mechanisms for public participation. Capacity-building and institutional strengthening were also central themes, with an emphasis on the need to continuously invest in the skills, systems, and technologies that support effective regulation.
As the conference closed, a communique was adopted outlining key resolutions and commitments. These included the formation of an inter-agency taskforce to steer implementation of joint regulatory initiatives, development of a national framework for performance monitoring of RAAs, and the establishment of regular platforms for consultation and knowledge exchange.
The success of the 2nd Annual RAAs Conference marked another step forward in the country’s efforts to entrench a regulatory culture that is proactive, coordinated, and citizen-focused. Stakeholders left the forum with renewed commitment to drive reforms that deliver tangible benefits to the public and strengthen the credibility and effectiveness of regulatory institutions across Kenya.
