A political storm is brewing in Kenya’s Lower Eastern region following a controversial move by the national government to transfer the upcoming Konza Techno City project from Machakos to Makueni County. The dispute pits Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti against her Makueni counterpart, Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., and has rekindled a longstanding boundary disagreement between the two neighboring counties.
The tension was triggered by a letter from the Ministry of Lands directing the transfer of Konza’s land records from Machakos Town to Wote Town in Makueni County, effectively placing the multi-billion-shilling tech hub under Makueni’s jurisdiction.
An outraged Governor Ndeti has termed the move a calculated ploy by Governor Kilonzo to use the Kenya Kwanza administration to grab land that rightfully belongs to Machakos.
“Machakos will not cede an inch of its territory to anyone,” Ndeti declared in a statement, vowing to fight the decision to the bitter end.
In response, Kilonzo maintained that the Konza land has always been part of Makueni County and accused Machakos of illegally annexing it in the past.
“The land has always been in Makueni County. Our good neighbors grabbed it, and what the ministry is doing is simply correcting past wrongs,” Kilonzo said.
The Lands Ministry memo, signed by Mohammed Maalim, the administration secretary, instructed the transfer of Konza’s land records to Wote Registry by December 30, reigniting tensions over a boundary dispute that dates back to 1992 when Makueni was carved out of Machakos District.
Machakos officials, led by Lands Executive Nathaniel Nganga, argue that the Kalama region was legally reverted to Machakos after residents petitioned the Electoral Commission of Kenya in 1997. However, recent actions, including the gazettement of Konza ICT/Mti Moja sublocation under Makueni County, have further complicated the matter.
Local leaders, including Kilome MP Thadeus Nzambia, have also raised concerns over administrative confusion, with schools reporting to Machakos while local administrators answer to Makueni.
Governor Ndeti has threatened to move to court, accusing the Lands Ministry of attempting to alter county boundaries through unconstitutional means. “This move undermines devolution and imposes unnecessary hardships on Makueni residents who will now travel longer distances to Wote Town for land services,” she said.
The boundary dispute, coupled with the high stakes surrounding the Konza Techno City project, underscores the challenges of administrative divisions in Kenya’s devolved system.
