President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni are expected to open the Busia One Stop Border post on Saturday amid "resistance" from local leaders and residents who want certain issues addressed before the ceremony takes place.
A sensitisation meeting was held on Monday at the Quill Hotel on the operations of the One Stop Border Post.
During the meeting, the leaders and residents tasked the national government to explain its alleged failures to honor a gentleman's agreement.
Chief of Staff in the Office of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong, Robert Papa and MCAs - David Luyemba, Moses Ochieng, and Bernard Papa said the National Government should come clear on its trade off pledge.
"When I was working with the defunct local authorities we entered into an agreement with the national government that any investor who will put up a OSBP will build for the County government a Trailer and Bus Parks and be allowed to continue collecting revenue. KRA is now chasing our people from collecting revenue within the OSBP jurisdiction. I am advising the DCC (Fredrick Ayieko) to tell the President to give us an assurance that the two parks will be built and the County government allowed to collect trailer fees in Busia and Malaba border towns," said Mayenje MCA David Luyemba (Jubilee).
In a quick rejoinder the DCC promised to forward the concerns of Busia leaders and residents especially on parks and markets to the Cabinet Secretary Interior Dr Fred Matiang'i.
Busia KRA manager Davies Kiprop said they were ready to license customs bonded facility in the county.
"We are also looking for a transshipment yard," he said, and wondered why there was no vehicle bazaar in Busia County.