Homa Bay residents oppose new sub-county

Ndhiwa residents who petitioned the government to object creation of a new sub-county were addressing journalists in Homa Bay Town. A group of elders in Homa Bay County have petitioned the acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to object creation of a new sub-county in Ndhiwa. [James Omoro, Standard]

A section of elders in Homa Bay County has rejected the newly created sub-county in Ndhiwa.

In a petition to acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, the elders said they were opposed to the boundaries of Ndhiwa West and Ndhiwa East sub-counties.

They said their recommendations were ignored, and that the boundaries create regional imbalance as one sub-county has two wards while the other has five of them.

In a statement read by Kwabwai Association Secretary Alfred Ogo, elders from Kwabwai, Kanyadoto, and parts of Kabwoch said it was unfair for Ndhiwa East to have two wards and Ndhiwa West with five.

"Where is the fairness in this matter if one sub-county has only two wards yet another has five? This is against the will of the people," Ogao said, who added that the new division should be revised.

In the new division, Ndhiwa East comprises South Kabuoch and North Kabuoch wards, while Ndhiwa West has Kwabwai, Kanyadoto, Kanyikela, Kanyamwa Kosewe, and Kanyamwa Kologi wards.

The elders propose that Ndhiwa West Sub-county should comprise of Kwabwai, Kanyadoto, Kanyikela wards, and parts of South Kabuoch ward with minority Kamenya, Kaguria, and Koguta (KaKaKo) clans.

An elder, John Ndiege, argued that the Kanyamwa clan which occupies Kanyamwa Kosewe and Kanyamwa Kologi wards, and the Kabuoch clan which occupies North Kabuoch and parts of South Kabuoch wards are brothers hence they should be in one sub-county.

"Kanyamwa and Kabuoch clans are brothers hence they should form Ndhiwa East Sub-county. Kwabwai, Kanyadoto, Kanyikela, and KaKaKo should form Ndhiwa West Sub-county," Ndiege said.

The chairman of Elders in Kanyadoto, Omollo Ojuka appealed to the government to listen to their grievances to enable peace to prevail in Ndhiwa. "We want fairness in this matter to enhance peaceful co-existence among the people of Ndhiwa," Ojuka said.

John Oyoko and Otieno Alouch from KaKaKo said the current division will lead to disparity in the distribution of public resources in Ndhiwa.

"Equality in population leads to equity in the distribution of resources in Ndhiwa. We are comfortable being in the same sub-county with Kanyadoto, Kwaibai, and Kanyikela due to the historical co-existence we have enjoyed," Oyoko said.

A few years ago during their public participation, Ndhiwa residents proposed to have four sub-counties namely Ndhiwa East, Ndhiwa West, Ndhiwa South, and Ndhiwa Central.

Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan advised the elders to embrace dialogue for ironing out the issues.

"The elders were in my office and we have booked for them a meeting with Ndhiwa Deputy County Commissioner for discussion to resolve the issues. These issues can be ironed out well within the legal framework," Lilan said.

The petition was sent to Mudavadi and copied to the National Assembly, Nyanza Regional Commissioner, Homa Bay County Commissioner, Ndhiwa Deputy County Commissioner, and Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino.