Leaders want House to intervene in Nyandarua, Laikipia Counties boundary row

By James Munyeki

Nyandarua, Kenya: Leaders in Nyandarua County now want the National Assembly to intervene in resolving the row between Nyandarua and Laikipia counties over the location of Nyahururu town.

They want the House to amend the Boundaries Act to end wrangles on major towns being claimed by various counties.

Led by Deputy Governor Waithaka Mwangi, previous Government failed to have provincial administration boundaries changed to resolve the disputes.

“Since retired presidents Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki could not make the decision, it is now the mandate of the National Assembly to resolve the dispute under the new constitutional dispensation,” he said.

Waithaka said the stalemate needs to be resolved once and for all as it was hampering development in both counties.

He called on area MPs to ensure the town remains in Nyandurua.

Mwangi was responding to a claim by Ndaragwa MP Waweru Ndiritu that Nyandarua County leadership has been silent as the neighbouring Laikipia County encroached on its boundary.

Staff reprimanded

Ndiritu cited a case where chaos broke out at an institution managing a national resource in Laikipia County after employees were reprimanded for extending services to Nyandarua residents.

“I am very bitter about it. I have always known Nyahururu to be in Nyandarua and it is very hard to change history. Time has come for leaders of the two counties to sit down and resolve these differences,” he said.

Nyahururu town is currently under Laikipia County, while  Nyahururu District Hospital, which was previously under Nyandarua is now in Laikipia. Nyahururu High School, on the other hand, is still administered from Nyandarua.