Konza row: Machakos dismisses Lands Ministry directive on transfer of records to Makueni

The Machakos County government has maintained it will not comply with a directive from the Ministry of Lands requiring the transfer of all land records from the Machakos registry to the Wote registry in neighbouring Makueni County by December 30.

The directive pertains to disputed areas within the boundary between Machakos and Makueni counties, specifically the Konza area.

In a press conference at the Machakos Governor's office, Machakos Lands County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Nathaniel Nganga asserted that the Konza area is within Machakos County and no part of it will be ceded from its jurisdiction.

Nganga demanded that the national government immediately halt transferring all land records from the Machakos lands registry to the Wote lands registry until a meeting involving all stakeholders is held to resolve the matter.

He said the county is now assembling a team of lawyers to challenge the directive in court.

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.

Machakos County Secretary Muya Ndambuki stated that they are prepared to pursue justice.

Kalama Ward MCA Bonface Maeke, where the Konza area is claimed to be situated, affirmed that Konza belongs fully to Machakos, following a public participation conducted in 2010 by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

He described the move as political, suggesting that leaders from Makueni are using it to benefit from the upcoming boundary review process by IEBC.

Maeke also lamented a recent event in Konza where he claimed that Machakos leaders were side-lined from speaking.