Land and Environment Court Judge Kamau Mugo is poised to deliver a crucial ruling on a longstanding boundary conflict between Nyamira and Kisii County. The judgement, scheduled for Thursday, February 15, is monumental since it aims to resolve the uncertainty surrounding the jurisdiction of Keroka town.
The petition seeking a solution to this longstanding dispute was filed in early 2023 by Rigoma Ward MCA, Nyambega Gisesa.
The dispute, which has lingered for years, centers on whether Keroka town falls within the territorial jurisdiction of Nyamira or Kisii County.
Keroka town has bustling businesses and hence the reason why Kisii and Nyamira would want to be the ones benefiting from income from the busy town.
The protracted boundary dispute has been a thorn for traders in Keroka town who have found themselves caught in the crossfire of double taxation, as officials from both Nyamira and Kisii County have laid claim to their businesses, each seeking to levy charges.
In May 2023, Justice Kamau summoned officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the National Land Commission (NLC) to provide insights into the Keroka boundary.
They were also expected to furnish the court with detailed maps and elucidate why the conflict had persisted despite the establishment of county governments under the 2010 constitution.
