Tharaka MP, MCAs seek to represent Electorates in Court over Disputed Creation of New Administrative Units

By Dennis Dibondo

A legislator together with several MCAs from Tharaka constituency who is a counsel has made an application before a Meru High Court.

Tharaka MP Gitonga Murugara, four MCAs and several other Tharaka-Nithi residents applied to be enjoined in challenging the creation of new administrative units in Tharaka-Nithi.

The case was at the Meru High Court on Tuesday and will proceed on March,7,2024 before Justice Heston Mbogo.

The MCAs seeking to be enjoined include Leonard Gitonga (Nkondi), Luke Marengo (Mukothima), Kennedy Kamunyu (Marimanti) and Joseph Kinyua (Chiakariga) as well as politician Paul Mugambi.

In December last year, five Meru residents moved to the high court to bar the implementation of gazette notices number 1766 of February 14, 2024 and Gazette notice number 15341 of November 22, 2024.

The petitioners want the operationalisation of Kibung’a Sub-Location, Kibung’a headquarters of Tharaka West Sub County, Kithino Location in Chiakariga Sub County, Uragate Division and Uragate Sub-Location in Tharaka North Sub-County, stopped.

Other contentious administrative units cited in the petition are Ruungu, Karocho, Turima, Murinda Sublocation, Tumbura, Murinda; Kithioroka, Kathura and Kaongoni stretching along the Tharaka Nithi border with Imenti North, Meru Central and Imenti South sub counties.

Sebastian Kaaria, Jonah Mwenda, Joseph Muriungi, Severino Maitima and Alex Mugambi, through their advocate Francis Mawira, obtained ex parte orders stopping the operationalisation of the administrative units.

"In any event of their own admission and shtng themselves on the foot they have admitted that the older unts existed in Tharaka constituency the units were not objected to at that time," Murugara said.

During the proceedings, the politicians were warned against making statements about the dispute in political rallies.