The wrangles started emerging within months after the promulgation of the new constitution by the head of state a year ago on August 27 and have persisted in most of the affected counties as the clock ticks closer to the devolved governance structures after next year’s general elections.

The crux of the matter is that leaders in the affected counties have sharply disagreed on where the headquarters of the counties should be located resulting in pushing and pulling without finding any tangible solution as the warring sides push for location of the county seats to be located in their specific preferred towns.

The worst scenario that defies all logic is the fact that some of the leaders have completely lost cognizant of the fact that some of the affected towns already have established infrastructure that were previously housing either district or provincial headquarters in the old constitutional order whereas some of the towns they are rooting have nothing and will therefore demand heavy investments that could be ploughed into other urgent needs of the affected counties’ residents.

What has since emerged is the fact that the leaders or personalities and the core of the wrangles are simply pushing for personal interests rather than those of the majority of the people residing in these counties, who indeed in the process have been divided straight in the middle.

Some of the worst hit by this state of affairs include Narok, Baringo and Maraket  in the Rift Valley, Murang’a, Kiambu and Nyandarua in Central Province, Bungoma of western province, Taita Taveta and Kilifi at the Coast and Siaya in Nyanza province.

Though some of the leaders and particularly politicians who sparked off the wrangles are arguing that they were taking into consideration infrastructural development and history of their choice towns others are arguing in favour of their choices saying they taking the length of distance into consideration.

For instance at the Coast province trouble erupted in Taita Taveta County when the local leaders differed on whether the county headfquarters should be located in Voi, Wundanyi or Mwatate with many arguing that Voi was ideal being centrally located to cover or serve the four constituencies of the county.

Former minister during the Kanu regime, Marsden Madoka has decalred: “Taking into consideration the geographical factors of the county, it is my opinion that Mwatate is the most central for those residing in Wundanyi, Voi and Taveta districts.”

This is a view that is also supported by another politician from the county, education assistant minister Calistus Mwatela, however another politician who is a former Voi Member of Parliament Boniface Mganga insists that Voi is the most central after taking into mind geographical considerations

As the wrangling continues to take root with the politicians mobilizing for support from local residents resulting in sharp divisions, what has emerged clearly is that most of them are interested in vying for senatorial, governorship as well as legislative posts under the new constitutional dispensation.

The story emerging from the Kilifi County is also a question of  geographical considerations being cited with living near Kilifi town rooting for the county headquarters to be located there while those living near Malindi rooting for the same and other reasons.

“The headquarters should be located in Malindi automatically because of the existing highly developed infrastructure and the fast speed of development that we are experiencing there complete with an airport as well as adequate housing not to mention vibrant tourism industry,” says Gideon Mung’ro who is also the Malindi MP.

However on the other hand that is not the view of those who are rooting for Kilifi arguing that in terms of logistics and geographical considerations, Kilifi is the most ideally located in a central place to serve the county residents.

The leading proponents of Kilifi led by the area Residents Forum administrative officer Kashero Chinyaka and Women Leader Beatrice Gambo, they argue that the town as a County headquarters will serve well people from Kaloleni, Ganze, Mariakani and Bamba who will find travelling to Malindi a long distance.

Shifting to the county headquarters acrimony that is gripping Central province starting from Kiambu county the bickering is centred on three towns starting from the oldest administrative seat of Kiambu town through Thika to Githunguri.

The County which is home to some of the wealthiest and powerful personalities in the country is reportedly having a large following who are rooting for Kiambu town from whence the name of the county is derived as well as having been the mother of all the other districts in that county.

The team fighting to have the county headquarters is led by former minister for defense and wealthy businessman, Njenga Karume are also arguing that the town has a highly established infrastructure among other considerations.

However those opposed to it led by Councilor Macdonald Goko are fighting for the headquarters to be located at Githunguri citing its centrality though lacking in infrastructural development would serve ideally for the rest of the constituencies in the county.

However, those fighting for Thika town as the Kiambu County headquarters appear to be leaning on the town mostly because of its closeness to where they hail from though other political leaders like finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta who hails from Gatundu near Thika is yet to jump into the fray.

However, there are sharper differences Nyandarua County where largely politicians are in total disagreement over whether the county headquarters should be in Nyahururu or Ol-Kalou towns.

Those opposed to Ol-Kalou led by the Ndaragwa legislator Jeremiah Kioni are saying Nyahururu has over the years been developed by farmers boasting of well developed and established infrastructure to house the county headquarters compared to the lesser developed Ol-Kalou.

The transport minister, Amos Kimunya who is leading the team opposed to Nyahuru says: “We want the headquarters for Nyandarua County to be in Ol-Kalou and we are going to fight for it to ensure that it is there the county seat will go.”

Ironically it was during celebration to usher in the new Murang’a County, that differences of the location of the headquarters erupted when politicians and professionals from the area failed to agree on a suitable location for the headquarters.

It is here that a section of residents and leaders prefer Murang’a Town, which has traditionally served as the headquarters for the Murang’a county, while others voiced their preference for Kenol Town in Maragua constituency.

It appears that they county with seven constituencies is grappling with a situation where each legislator wants the county headquarters located in their respectful constituencies

The county headquarters wrangles raging in Central Province are no better than those which boiling in Rift Valley province particularly in Baringo County where leaders are torn between Kabarnet and Marigat towns.

On the one hand higher education assistant minister is leading the team of political centred in Marigat though less developed so that its development can be turned around, while le4gislators mostly from Baringo are insistent that Kabarnet should host the county headquarters because of the developed infrastructure.

The very same controversy is boiling over as far as Elgeiyo Marakwet County headquarters are concerned, with local professionals rooting for a central and convenient location in Iten Town in Keiyo District.

Those opposed to it suggest Chebiemit trading centre or Kapsowar town to be the headquarters arguing that it is in a central position and perhaps most convenient to local residents.

The vast Narok County equation in the Rift Valley is rather a tricky equation for the residents of Trans Mara as far as distance is concerned from Kilgoris to Narok town especially with two districts being divided by the vast Maasai Mara Game Reserve without developed roads for travel.