The controversy over the location of Maseno township, which borders Vihiga and Kisumu counties, has deepened after Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o announced plans to upgrade the trading centre.
Speaking when he toured the township last Thursday, Governor Nyong’o said his administration plans to upgrade it to an educational centre and elevate it to a town.
But residents of Vihiga have opposed the plan and petitioned the National Assembly to form an independent commission on county boundaries to investigate the historical dispute over the location of the town.
Vihiga and Kisumu counties have been involved a long-drawn dispute over the ownership of the township, with each laying claim to it. Mr Joram Ondere, a resident of Maseno in Vihiga, urged Parliament to establish the Independent Commission on County Boundaries to address the matter and come up a lasting solution.
Vihiga Senator George Khaniri said the County Boundaries Bill, 2017, that is currently before Parliament will help address what he termed a historical injustice to the people of Vihiga.
In his petition, Mr Ondere said Parliament is the only organ that is mandated by the Constitution to alter county boundaries.
He argued that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is limited by the law to only alter the names of wards and constituencies within counties.
Mr Ondere said locals are concerned that no report has been made public since the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee of the 11th Parliament visited the area before the 2017 General Elections.
He lamented that the dispute had alienated some clans in Vihiga County, denying them access to services. Mr Ondere said the move might lead to conflict between neighbouring communities.
Kisumu government started the process of upgrading the township, angering locals on the Vihiga side. While protesting against the upgrade of the township, Senator Khaniri said the move is a great concern to both the leadership of Vihiga County and the people of Emabungo Ward, where the township believably lies.
“Maseno area lies on a disputed boundary between Kisumu and Vihiga. It is a historical boundary dispute. I have raised this issue in Parliament several times,” said Mr Khaniri.
The senator asked the leadership of both counties to undertake public participation to get views of leaders and local communities before proceeding with upgrade plan.
“One of the main concerns raised by the locals in Emabungo is that Kisumu government is only interested in the public institutions around Maseno such as Maseno University, Maseno School and Kenya Forestry Research Institution, and not the needs of locals such as roads, bursaries and administrative services,” the senator said.
