Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has been caught up in the raging Taita Taveta and Makueni county boundary dispute that may make or break his future political ambitions as hehas offered to broker a peace deal.
Mtito Andei has been at the centre of a conflict between Taita-Taveta and Makueni county, with both counties claiming to be the owner of the fast growing town.
Taita-Taveta governor Andrew Mwadime and Makueni governor Mutula Kilonzo have publicly differed with one claiming the boundary between his county and Taita-Taveta is Man Eaters point while Taita-Taveta county maintains it is at Mtito Andei River.
Mwadime
In October last year, the Environment and Lands Court in Mombasa ruled that the county government of Taita Taveta will continue to issue business permits and collect taxes in Mtito Andei in Makueni and Mackinnon towns in Kwale.
The border row between Makueni and Taita Taveta counties escalated after the two devolved units clashed over a notice issued to traders in Mtito-Andei telling them to prepare for immediate collection of levies and issuance of business permits.
In a letter from the county’s department of finance and economic planning, the county notified traders that revenue collected will be deposited into a joint account number 1305279751 domiciled at KCB Voi branch.
“Further to a court order ref; ELC PET NO; 33 of 2021 dated 29/9/2021 issued by Environment and Land Court of Kenya at Mombasa, the general public is hereby notified that the county government of Taita Taveta has started collecting county levies and issuing business permits within Mtito Andei,” reads the notice signed by Simeon Mwakio, director of revenue management.
However, Governor Mutula has accused his Taita Taveta counterpart Mwadime of defying the council of governor’s resolutions.
On January 6 2023, the governor forwarded the matter to the council of governors who started the mediation process to resolve the conflict.
Kalonzo said he will convene a meeting between the two counties to amicably resolve the dispute.
Mwadime had requested Kalonzo to rein in Governor Kilonzo from remarks that could jeopardise discussions over the boundary row.
According to Mwadime, Mutula had become a major stumbling block in the resolution of the dispute despite a High Court order authorising Taita Taveta to start collecting revenue at Mtito Andei in Makueni and Mackinnon in Kwale county.
