School visit revives boundary wrangle
What you need to know:
- Governor accused of public incitement by his tour of the institution
A visit to Mackinnon Road township by some Taita Taveta leaders has reignited a boundary dispute with Kwale residents.
Now residents of the township are accusing Taita Taveta leaders among them Governor John Mruttu of incitement.
Mr Mruttu, Taita Taveta Senator Dan Mwazo, Voi MP Jones Mlolwa and Mwatate MP Andrew Mwadime visited Mbele Primary School, whose location has been disputed for 50 years.
“Why did the leaders come here without inviting their Kwale counterparts?” asked area resident Sudi Mtawali “We are sure they came here to incite the residents,” he insisted.
Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said the boundary feud had persisted since colonial times and could not be resolved in a day.
He promised that leaders from both counties were determined to resolve the matter and had started negotiations.
Kwale leaders met at Mackinnon Road a few months ago and would meet again in Mombasa on Friday with Mr Mruttu and his team, he said.
The governor said he did not know the agenda for the Taita Taveta leaders’ visit to the school.
“Maybe they went there to address pertinent issues because the school is under Taita Taveta County.
POLICE ON PATROL
“What I know is that we are holding our second meeting in Mombasa on Friday over the boundary issue.”
Prior to the visit, Mackinnon Road was tense as police officers patrolled the township to avert violence.
According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the boundary between the two counties is at Miasenyi, 15 kilometres from Mackinnon Road on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
