Machakos MCA Takes Makueni County to Court Over Controversial Land Office Transfer

A land row between Machakos and Makueni counties has unearthed supremacy battles over which county will take over Konza land operations.

The conflict stems from a directive from the Ministry of Lands to transfer all land records from the Machakos registry to the Wote registry in neighbouring Makueni County by December 30.

However, Kalama MCA Boniface Maeke went to court to oppose the move that would see the transfer of land records from Konza to Makueni County. In his petition, the MCA asked the Environment and Land Court in Machakos County to halt any plans to transfer the land operations.

The MCA argued that the move would be disadvantageous to the people of Machakos, who would be forced to seek services from Makueni, which is about 30 kilometers away, yet Machakos is way closer.

Further, the leaders argued that Makueni County is plotting to rob Machakos County of its resources. In an affidavit, the court accepted his petition but told him that the matter was not argent.

“I want to urge all of us, the leaders, the MCAs, to unite and fight our external enemies who want to grab our land,” the MCA noted.

On his part, Machakos Lands County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Nathaniel Nganga has called on the two counties to work together, engage in public participation, and agree on which county will handle what duties.

“We don’t want any tussle between the two counties, we have been brothers, and we should maintain that. Let us engage all the leaders in both counties and converse and decide where the duties will be stationed,” Nganga noted.

According to Nganga, after the consensus, discussions, and agreements, the two counties can convergently agree on which county will take the duties amicably.

In the internal memo to the county, the Ministry of Lands pointed out the transfer was aimed at resolving boundary disputes between the two counties.

In response to the memo to Machakos County, Machakos leaders, including the MCA, opposed it, claiming that it could be politically motivated by interested parties since there has not been any boundary dispute between the two counties.

Referring to various letters from different bodies, Nganga cited a report by the Senate Committee on Lands and Natural Resources, which settled the boundary dispute around Konza in December 2014.

On his part, Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has warned Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior from forging on with the move, claiming that it may taint the relations between the two counties.