Traders Petition Interior CS For Transfer Of Police Base To Thika Over Security Concerns.
Nkaissery to transfer Ndururumo Police Post from Gatanga Police Division to Thika West Police Division.
Ndururumo Police Post, which is right next to the Thika
Superhighway, is under Gatanga Division which is 25 km away as opposed to Thika
which is just 2km away.
In a memorandum presented to Thika West Deputy County
Commissioner (DCC) Tom Anjere on behalf of area residents and the business
community, they argued that delays culminating from these restrictions resulted
to an increase in cases of insecurity.
“The residents should have a public door to the police in
their neighbourhood where they can access police services in case of
emergencies. The transfer of this post to Thika will act as a deterrent to
criminal activity, as the response from Thika police officers would be swifter
due to their proximity,” said Alfred Wanyoike, the chairman Thika District
Business Association (TDBA).
They argued that though the area fell under Murang’a County,
security was not a devolved unit, thus police officers should serve from any
point.
Residents of Maki Estate, Maporomoko, Kimatus, Jogoo, Bendor
and Thika Sports Club believe that policing is not sufficiently visible in
those areas due to the inconveniences caused by administrative bureaucracy.
“If you scrutinise this issue in detail, it is the officers
from Thika who actually man the area in terms of traffic and in the fight
against crime. But at times, their hands are tied when it comes to the chain of
command. Incidents of robbery, muggings and carjacking are prevalent in the area
as criminals are aware of the impending challenges facing these residents,”
added Wanyoike.
Responding to the people’s plea, Thika DCC promised to use
the laid down procedure at his disposal to hand over the petition to the
relevant authorities. He added that his security team was collaborating with
their counterparts in Gatanga to ensure that the security of the area was
enhanced. He appealed to the business community in Thika to schedule a meeting
with his office to work out solutions that would seal the gaps that criminals
were taking advantage of.
“We need to sit down as stakeholders to chat the way forward
on how best we can curtail crime in this region. Together we can map out a
detailed framework that will guarantee security for all,” said Anjere.
He also requested the traders to schedule a meeting with the
Gatanga security team so that they could air their security concerns.
Earlier in the day, the traders held a peaceful procession
around the streets of Thika Town in solidarity with the slain business lady
Joyce Wambui Githitu who was murdered at her Maki home.
At least seven people are in police custody over the murder
that is believed to have been schemed from Thika where Wambui was a prominent
trader.
(Related Stories: Son-In-Law Among Seven Suspects Arraigned In A Thika Court Over Mrs. Githitu’s Murder.)
A section of the Thika traders who had converged at the Thika West DC's offices to present their concerns to the DCC Tom Anjere. |
There has been a longstanding tussle between Kiambu and
Murang’a Counties over whose jurisdiction, Maki Estate, Maporomoko, Kimatus,
Jogoo, Bendor, Githingiri and Thika Sports Club fall. Politically, these
residents fall under Thika Town Constituency but administratively, they are in
Murang’a County. Essential services such as water and sewerage services are
provided by Thika Sub-County even though these residents pay their cess and
rates to Murang’a County Government.
Ironically, some of the senior officers in Kiambu County
reside in the perceived Murang’a County territory. The residence of both the
Thika West Deputy County Commissioner and the OCPD Thika are both within the
Murang’a side of the boundary.
Ndururumo Police Post was built using funds from the former
Juja Constituency (now Thika Town Constituency) and the LATIF/LASDAP Funds from
the former Municipal Council of Thika. The post is in Maboromoko Estate
opposite Blue Post Hotel, an estate occupied by a 100% Thika residents.
In July 2015, a revenue clerk was injured during a border
scuffle between Murang’a and Kiambu counties. The Murang’a clerk, then
stationed in near Jogoo Kimakia Hotel, was attacked and injured by Kiambu
county askaris who came in a convoy armed with clubs, and told them they were
collecting levies in an area that belonged to Kiambu.
They also allegedly confiscated receipt books and took the
money they had collected.
The two counties have been embroiled in a border dispute
since the county governments came into force.
The disputed areas which include Bendor, Maporomoko, Jogoo
Kimakia, Thika Sports Club, Blue Post, the Del Monte and other farms which are
high end estates that both counties have been fighting to control that but are
said to fall within Gatanga constituency.
While Murang'a maintains the border of the two counties is
Chania River, Kiambu on the other hand says that should not be the border point
since they offer services to the neighbouring high end estates.
Kiambu Governor William Kabogo said the alleged boundary
dispute since 2013 was ill motivated and politically castigated. According to
Kabogo, the dispute is imaginary and he asked concerned leaders to enquire from
the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which was mandated
to demarcate the boundaries after the creation of counties to get clear
answers.
“We haven’t created our own boundaries and those raising the
matter should ask IEBC or raise the matter in Parliament and not on the
streets,” Kabogo said then.
“The people in those areas are in Kiambu and they will
pay levies to Kiambu because they get services from us. I have talked with my
Murang’a counterpart and there is not dispute only a few individuals want to
create it,” he added.
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