A section of leaders are calling for Kiambu County to be divided into two, following a dispute that has seen Governor James Nyoro accused of neglecting Kiambu East (Lower Kiambu).
The publicized rivalry between Kiambu Governor James Nyoro and Thika MP Patrick 'Jungle' Wainaina, said to be eyeing the Gubernatorial seat in 2022, has re-ignited calls for the county's split.
Kiambu East, or Lower Kiambu, includes Ruiru, Juja, Thika, Gatundu North and Gatundu South while Kiambu West, Upper Kiambu, includes Limuru, Kabete, Lari, Kiambu town, Kiambaa, Githunguri and Kikuyu.
Among leaders who supported calls for the county to be split into two include Limuru MP Peter Mwathi and Juja politician George Koimburi, who on Tuesday, August 4 cited population as a factor.
“For us, we are of the view that the county should be split. Let us have two regions because as the way things are, it has been difficult to share resources due to the high population and the size of the county and that is what you are hearing the noise from the people,” Koimburi told reporters
Constituencies in Lower Kiambu have a total population of 1,188,808 while those in Upper Kiambu have a population of 1,228,927.
The emotive matter has previously been brought to the forefront by politicians from both Kiambu West and Kiambu East, who argue that a split would see improved revenue allocations for development.
Wainaina has in the recent past accused Nyoro of focusing on projects in Kiambu West at the expense of millions in Kiambu East.
Nyoro hit back by venturing into Wainaina's Thika constituency on Friday, July 17 where he accused the MP of sabotaging county projects for political mileage.
He further dismissed claims that he was focused on projects in Upper Kiambu, stating that many of them had been started by the county's first Governor William Kabogo and he couldn't abandon them.
“Thika has been the worst place in terms of politics and this is derailing developments in Kiambu. We have been initiating projects and then the MP comes and claims the national government is doing the same projects.
"He is out to distract me and I won’t allow this to happen,” he told the crowd.
