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6d agoSTEPHEN ASTARIKONorth-eastern
Iftin Ward MCA Mustafa Abdirashid speaking at a function in Garissa town/STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Iftin Ward MCA Mustafa Abdirashid has urged Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana to stop creating unnecessary tension between communities residing in Garissa and Tana River counties through his public statements.
Two weeks ago, Governor Godhana, while speaking in Hola, reignited the long-standing dispute over a three-mile border stretch between Tana River and Garissa counties.
Godhana called on the Interior Cabinet Secretary to resolve the persistent boundary conflicts, stating that they were fueling insecurity in the region.
“Garissa County has repeatedly attempted to encroach on our land by building their own infrastructure,” Governor Godhana said.
“There are shared issues we can discuss—such as fire services, cess, and access to the river—but it’s unacceptable when someone misjudges the border and then claims a map was misinterpreted as an excuse to build a headquarters in a sub-county within Tana River. That’s deeply insincere. The Interior CS must intervene urgently.”
The governor was referring to Garissa County's construction of offices in Bura East town, located in Fafi Sub-county.
Iftin Ward MCA Mustafa Abdirashid has a word with Garissa governor aspirant Mohamed Shurie./STEPHEN ASTARIKO
However, speaking at an event in Garissa town, MCA Mustafa criticised Governor Godhana, saying he had made it a habit to continually revive the border issue.
“Instead of focusing on development challenges in Tana River, the governor seems more invested in redrawing maps rather than uniting communities,” Mustafa said.
“Let me make it clear—there is no land on this side of the river that belongs to Tana River.”
He warned that the governor’s remarks have caused heightened tension and uncertainty among residents.
“As we speak, chiefs, elders, and local administrators are caught in a jurisdictional limbo. Essential services are being delayed, community cohesion is under strain, and young people are being drawn into unnecessary conflict—at a time when we should be prioritizing cross-border cooperation and building climate resilience,” he added.
The MCA argued that the Three-Mile Strip is a colonial-era creation that holds no legitimacy in contemporary Kenya.
“It has never been ratified through a constitutional process, nor does it reflect historical land use or occupancy,” he said, calling on the National Land Commission (NLC) to urgently clarify and formally nullify the relevance of the Three-Mile Strip in modern boundary determinations.
He also urged the IEBC’s Boundaries Review Committee to expedite the gazettement of clear, community-informed county boundaries—especially in sensitive areas such as Garissa and Tana River.
Furthermore, Mustafa called on leaders from both counties to jointly convene a stakeholders’ meeting, including representatives from the National Land Commission.
“To the people of Garissa County, and especially the leadership headed by the governor—I urge you to address this issue by calling an inclusive leadership meeting where we can have an honest and candid discussion,” he said.
“At a time when we should be investing in cooperation across borders and strengthening climate resilience, we are instead being dragged into political conflicts by those entrusted with our welfare,” he concluded.
