Kiprono Kittony has resigned from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance board ver what he described as “less than cordial working relationship”.
In a statement, the national chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the chamber has been at odds fulfilling its mandate with Kepsa.
“The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry as an umbrella organisation for the private sector representing business interests locally and internationally has experienced challenges in fulfilling its mandate alongside Kepsa and my continued stay on the board is therefore untenable,” he said in the signed read the statement.
Kittony was serving his second two-year term at Kepsa, after being re-elected in 2013.
During a breakfast launch of the Kenya-China e-commerce platform, amanbo.com on Tuesday, Kittony told guests to beware of other associations purporting to represent interests of businesses.
He said the chamber is the only umbrella body legally mandated to handle concerns in the private sector, and said other organisations do not enjoy this mandate.
KNCCI deputy chief executive Nemaisa Kiereni said the chairman had expressed reservations on the chamber’s working relationship with Kepsa, saying the two bodies could not agree on a number of issues.
Kepsa is a limited liability organisation, with a membership of more than 100,000 members. It is the apex of the private sector, with membership fees paid in two categories, the corporate and business membership organisations.
The chamber is a non-profit umbrella body of businesses in the private sector, with presence in all counties and works with the government in various initiatives, the most recent being the partnership on county budget and economic forum.
The chamber also signs various international business agreements on behalf of the private sector when the president is on a foreign tour or when a foreign trade delegation is in the country.