A proposal to levy water sourced from Murang'a County and consumed in Nairobi County has taken a new twist after Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko traded barbs with his Murang'a counterpart Mwangi Wa Iria.
The Nairobi warned Mr Wa Iria that if he continue demanding for a levy, he will reiterate by demolishing his houses which he claimed have been built on a road reserve.
Speaking Thursday during the official opening of Nairobi ASK Show attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr Sonko said he has the Ndakaini Dam tittle deed and that Murang'a leaders have no right to demand for a share of the revenue from the water consumed by city residents.
DON'T TOUCH NDAKAINI
"Wa Iria should not joke with us. I will deal with him if he touches Ndakaini dam. We will act on the building he has," Mr Sonko said in a speech on Thursday.
He added that Murang'a leaders have no right to demand for anything from the Ndakaini water, saying it comes from Nyandarua and Nyeri counties and is only stored at Ndakaini.
"Murang'a people have no right to discuss about the water. We bought the land. We have the tittle deeds and most of the people who consume the water come from Murang'a; they should respect us," Mr Sonko said.
WA IRIA RATTLED
His statement immediately rattled Mr Wa Iria who accused the Nairobi governor of engaging in divisionary politics, saying there is no land dispute but what is at stake is getting a percentage of the water revenue.
The Murang'a governor slammed his colleague for issuing threats to demolish his houses, daring him to do it immediately.
Mr Wa Iria vowed never to succumb to threats intended to stop him from advocating for the rights of Mt Kenya people.
"It is ridiculous for the Nairobi governor to assume that I can be cowed from speaking for the rights of Mt Kenya residents by threats that I have a building in Nairobi which he claims he can demolish. He should have done it yesterday.
DEMOLITIONS
"Mt Kenya people in Nairobi has suffered unrecoverable loss and trauma through unreasonable destruction of kiosks and business premises and we are now ready to pay whichever price to redeem our people from these oppressive forcers," the governor told the.
He castigated Mr Sonko for dragging the national government into the matter, saying that Mr Sonko is a direct beneficially of Murang'a water.
He said destruction of properties and businesses as a weapon to intimidate and silence Mt Kenya people must stop.
INSULT
"Saying that Murang'a people in Nairobi benefit from the water is the biggest insult to us. Does the Sonko expect Murang'a people who live in Nairobi to buy water and ferry it to Murang'a County where their kin live?" posed Mr Wa Iria.
He told off Mr Sonko, saying he has failed to rehabilitate Nairobi River which could be the source of water for his county.
"Mr Michuki tried to clean Nairobi River and if Sonko is serious about water issues, let him clean the river which has converted into flowing sewerage," he said.
Murang'a MCAs are expected to hold a public participation meeting at Ndakaini shopping centre on Monday next week to discuss the proposed water Act which will address the levy issue.
