The state has frozen the formation of new administration units like, sub-locations, locations, divisions, and sub-counties, as units of service delivery in Eastern and Northeastern Regions as well as land settlements along county boundaries in the regions until after the August general elections.
Interior CS Fred Matiang’i on Tuesday, June 7 while speaking in Isiolo after chairing a meeting of security chiefs from Meru and Isiolo counties, said that the decision was informed by the need to avoid milking political capital out of the exercises and also to avoid aggravating ethnic, clan and other potential disparities around the process.
The CS further expressed concern over what he dubbed as the politicization of boundary issues.
“There is a challenge of a boundary between Meru and Isiolo. It is a challenge because of attempts on both sides to politicize an issue that has no politics at all because under the act the boundaries are very well defined,” he said.
This remarks came following several counties in the region, experiencing cross-border conflicts around disputed boundaries and access to resources such as land, pasture and water. These counties include Meru-Isiolo, Meru-Tharaka Nithi, Isiolo-Garissa, Kitui-Tana River, Makueni-Taita Taveta and Makueni-Kajiado.
According to the CS it is not in the place of administrators to deliberate upon issues touching on boundaries stating that they work strictly according to the prescription of the Act.
Matiang’i then added that the state will review the placement of security agencies working along the boundaries of Meru and Isiolo counties as part of its measures to thwart more conflicts.
Furthermore, CS Matiang’i reported that in the wake of environmental challenges, the government had established new structures of resource sharing to ensure there is peace in the event the communities share unlimited resources.
Matiang’i was accompanied by Inspector General of police Hillary Mutyambai and other senior security chiefs.