IEBC to investigate Taita Taveta/Kwale boundary dispute

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya(L) and his County Executive Committee Member Bakari in an earlier event. The Governor said the border disputes would be resolved by IEBC. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya has called for calm among residents of Kwale and Taita Taita counties over the row on control of Mackinnon Road area.

Mr Mvurya said the matter was being handled by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and that a lasting solution would be reached soon.

“We agreed with Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja when we went to meet Deputy President William Ruto that we preach peace among our people as the matter is being addressed by IEBC,” he said.

Speaking at Samburu near Mackinnon Road on Sunday, Mvurya said the meeting between the two parties in Nairobi recently was fruitful.

Two weeks ago, Samboja caused a major storm when he visited Mackinnon area and declared it was in his county.

Last week, Ruto summoned Mvurya and Samboja to his office over border dispute.

In a separate interview, Samboja also said IEBC would handle the dispute.

But Samboja has also laid claim to Mtito Andei which is administered by Makueni County.

He claims these towns were wrongly and unjustly transferred from Taita Taveta and that ethnic Taita people in the two towns are discriminated against.

Samboja, who is in his first term in office, threatened to deploy revenue officers to Mtito Andei saying he could no longer wait for the matter to be sorted out.

However, Ruto summoned both Mvurya and Samboja with their delegations to Nairobi for a meeting and urged both parties to maintain the status quo.