GARISSA – Garissa County Assembly Deputy Speaker and MCA for Iftin Ward, Mustafa Abdirashid, has condemned attempts by political leadership from the coast region asserting administrative control over the so-called “Three-Mile Strip” — a disputed belt of land stretching into parts of Garissa County.
The matter has reignited historical grievances rooted in colonial-era boundary demarcations in northern Kenya over the controversial land dispute between Garissa, Lamu and Tana River counties.
Describing the dispute as “a misguided agenda in a fragile region,” Abdirashid warned politicians reviving a colonial relic at the expense of community harmony and local development.
The strip, initially drawn by the British colonial administration without local consultation, spans eleven wards in Balambala, Garissa Township, Bura East, and Ijara sub-counties — territories that have long been inhabited by the people of Garissa.
“The Three-Mile Strip was never meant to foster fairness. It was a tool of control,” Abdirashid said.
“It holds no legitimacy in a democratic, devolved Kenya,” he added.
Mr. Abdirashid called the ongoing efforts to enforce this boundary “cartographic trickery” and a betrayal of the principles of devolution, which was designed to empower marginalized regions.
“Community members say the dispute has already begun to affect service delivery, stoke inter-county tensions, and unsettle communities that depend on the land for survival.”
He said local chiefs and elders have reported being caught in a web of administrative confusion, with essential services delayed or politicized amid jurisdictional uncertainty.
Mr. Abdirashid has urged swift action from national government institutions in addressing the matter.
He has called on the National Land Commission (NLC) to nullify the strip’s relevance in current boundary decisions and pushed the IEBC’s Boundaries Review Committee to prioritize sensitive regions like Garissa in its ongoing boundary review process.
He asked the Senate and the Council of Governors to develop safeguards to prevent historical boundaries from being used as political weapons.
“Garissa’s leaders must stand united — across political divides — to defend our land and our people,” he said.
“This is not just about Garissa versus Tana River. This is about whether we move forward together as one country, or fall back into the traps of fear, division, and historical injustice.”
The affected communities, largely composed of pastoralists and subsistence not merely symbolic — it is their lifeblood.
“Disruption to grazing routes and water access could trigger displacement, conflict, and further economic marginalization in an already vulnerable region,” he said.
Mr. Abdirashid called on civil society and religious institutions to educate residents — especially youth — about the historical context of the boundary and the importance of civic engagement and peaceful resistance.
“This is not just a political decision — it’s a moral imperative,” Abdirashid asserted.
“We will not yield to threats, maps, or manipulations. Our history and our dignity cannot be erased by a governor’s pen.”
