Kiambu Governor William Kabogo dismisses MP’s claim on county border

By ERIC WAINAINA

Kiambu, Kenya: Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has said the alleged boundary dispute that has rocked his county and Murang’a since last year is ill motivated and politically castigated.

Mr Kabogo who spoke for the first time on the matter raised by Gatanga MP Humphrey Njuguna said Kiambu has not encroached on any part of Murang’a County as alleged.

According to Kabogo, the dispute is imaginary and he asked concerned leaders to enquire from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which was mandated to demarcate the boundaries after the creation of counties to get clear answers.

“We haven’t created our own boundaries and those raising the matter should ask IEBC or raise the matter in Parliament and not on the streets,” Kabogo said.

The MP has claimed that the Kiambu government is collecting revenue from his constituents, yet they are subject to taxation by the Murang’a government.

The disputed areas include Pendo, Maporomoko, Thika Sports Club, Blue Post, the Delamere and other farms that fall within Gatanga constituency but Kabogo said the areas lie within Kiambu County.

“The people in those areas are in Kiambu and they will pay levies to Kiambu because they get services from us. I have talked with my Murang’a counterpart and there is not dispute only a few individuals want to create it,” he said.

Similar sentiments were made by County MP Anna Nyokabi who said IEBC should make it clear where the boundary is.

Elizabeth Matere, a business lady who lives near Thika Sports Club (one of the disputed areas), said the dispute should be solved, saying it has created unnecessary confusion.

According to Ms Matere who spoke during a women’s meeting in Thika, they have been getting services from Thika and in the last General Election, they voted for leaders for Kiambu county.

Last year, Njuguna during a meeting in Murang’a said leaders from Kigumo, Kandara and Gatanga were calling for the areas in question to be formed into a new county that would be known as Thika County.

The Chania River has been acting as an imaginary border between Murang’a and Kiambu counties.