The government has suspended sand harvesting in Kiambere Ward in Embu County along River Tana within the Seven Forks Dams Cascade for one week following a revenue-related dispute between two community groups.
Mbeere South Deputy County Commissioner Jacob Mwaura said no harvesting or transportation of sand will be allowed to take place for the one week as they seek ways of sorting out the dispute.
Trouble started when residents of Karura Sub-location cut ties with Kiambere Ward CBO, which has been managing the resource for eight years, citing neglect and marginalisation in the sharing of revenue generated from the sand.
The residents went ahead and registered their own CBO and started collection of levies from tracks ferrying sand from the area with a view of using the proceeds to carry out community projects to improve their lives.
The move, however, did not go down well with the mother CBO, which on Monday held demonstrations to oppose the move by the rival CBO, Karura Community Sand Harvest Association.
Police had to intervene to restore order, and after a lengthy meeting with the DCC, it was agreed that sand harvesting be suspended for some time to pave the way for negotiations between the two groups.
“We do not wish to see the dispute escalate into a full-blown conflict, and that is why we had to take the drastic action of suspending any activity here for some time to find a lasting solution,” the DCC said.
Members of the new CBO have accused area MCA Lenny Masters, who is the patron of Kiambere CBO, of micromanaging it, leading to skewed distribution of projects funded via proceeds from the sand.
However, the MCA has refuted the allegations, saying they have ensured every part of the Ward has benefitted through the CBO-funded projects such as water, schools, and road improvement.
He accused the new CBO of contravening their mandate of sand harvesting as per the registration documents by starting collection of transportation levies.
By Samuel Waititu
