Petitioners welcome ruling on Nandi Hills

Two petitioners in Nandi have welcomed the decision of the five-judge bench that ruled that Chepng’etuny sub-location be included in the Nandi Hill constituency. Isaack Leting and Wilson Kemboi had in March filed suits against IEBC for excluding the sub-location from the new Nandi Hill constituency. Leting said the move had excluded any form of road linkage between Tinderet and Nandi Hills constituencies.

Last week, the five-judge bench amended the legal notice which took Chepng’etuny sub-location to Nandi Hills constituency. “We would like to thank the Chief Justice for reforming the judiciary. Tatshiargaa (Wanjiku) would not have benefited from the petition in the previous regimes,” said Leting. He said the two constituencies can now be aptly represented.

Nandi Hills is mostly comprised of sugar cane farmers while Tinderet is mostly comprised of tea farmers. Leting said the two groups of farmers can now focus on their specific crops and ensure maximum output. Kemboi described the ruling as ‘a land-mark one’ saying it should serve as a warning to politicians who are still living in the past.

Nandi Hills has a population of about 107,534 people and comprises of county assembly wards Ol’lessos, Kapchorwa, Nandi Hills and Chepkyunyuk while Tinderet has a population of about 100,601 and comprises of Chemase, Kapsimatwo, Songhor/Soba and Tinderet wards. Chepng’etuny sub-location is in Ol’lessos ward in Nandi Hills constituency. The five- judge bench included judges Mohamed Warsame, David Majanja, Pauline Nyamweya, Ruth Sitati and Hellen Omondi.