Tharaka-Nithi leaders have disputed the just released results of the 2019 Census results which indicate the county has 393, 177 people.
Governor Muthomi Njuki and Tharaka MP Gitonga Murugara have vowed to go to court to petition the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics to have the results reviewed or have the counting exercise repeated.
Governor Njuki noted on Monday, November 4 that the 2009 census revealed the county had a population of 365,330 and that it is unlikely the number grew by 27,847 only in 10 years.
“These are wrong figures. We will petition the KNBS to review the whole exercise in our region in order to get the right population,” The governor told Nation.
He said there are clear indications that Tharaka-Nithi’s population is higher than 500,000.
The county boss argued that the KNBS projected that the county would have a population of at least 428,959 out of a target of 105,152 homes.
He said the number of people should be higher after surpassing the household target and registering 112,124 at the end of the exercise.
MP Murugara also claimed county has a population of above 500,000 insisting the census results were distorted.
He decried a plot to economically and politically disadvantage some regions.
“Population figures are critical in deciding the share of the national cake that a region gets. We will not allow incredible figures,” said Murugara.
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