Laikipia in process of assuming ownership of Nyahururu town
By David Macharia, September 12, 2023
Laikipia county has initiated the second phase of completely annexing Nyahururu town from its neighbour Nyandarua.
After claiming ownership of the town at the advent of devolution, Laikipia has started evicting Nyandarua departments that are devolved but are still operating from government buildings in the town.
The latest victims are Nyandarua North sub county Co-operative development workers who were directed to immediately vacate a building they have been operating from in the town.
The building was constructed as the “Cooperative development offices for the then Nyandarua District and was officially opened in 1993 by the then Central Province Commissioner, Victor Musoga.
The plaque to mark the official opening says, “This cooperative development office for Nyandarua District was officially opened on October 19, 1993 by the PC Central Province Victor Musoga.” The building located next to the Agricultural Finance Corporation near the Nyahururu law court is expected to be occupied by the Laikipia owned Nyahururu Water and Sanitation Company (Nyahuwasco) which has been operating from a rented building in the town. The onslaught of ensuring Laikipia completely takes over ownership of Nyahururu town from its neighbour has started one year after Joshua Irungu regained the Laikipia governorship.
Devolved system
The adoption of the devolved system of government in 2013 triggered a fight between the two counties over the ownership of the town. The town, though located in Laikipia, was the official headquarters of Nyandarua since time immemorial.
The Nyandarua Cooperative development officers for Nyandarua North Sub County removed office property on Friday last week and relocated to Ndaragwa town following a letter from Laikipia County Secretary Koinange Wahome to his Nyandarua counterpart Muchina Kanja demanding surrendering of the property to Laikipia.
It is not yet clear why Nyahuwasco is moving from the Hekima building located next to Cooperative Bank, where the company has been operating since inception.