By Gakuu Mathenge and Mutinda Mwanzia

ODM has set up a taskforce led by legal scholar Mutakha Kangu to advise the party on a position to take on boundaries review.

"The taskforce will advise the National Executive Council on the way forward on the matter, which will be made public soon," said the party’s legal affairs secretary Mugambi Imanyara.

The development follows emerging differences among MPs on the method of reviewing constituency boundaries.

Those who have stuck to their guns that constituencies should be split on population basis have mainly come from central Kenya, led by President Kibaki. However, contrary to popular belief, the 10 most populous and largest constituencies are not in the Mt Kenya region.

According to the 1999 population census, Embakasi is the most populous, with 434,157 people, followed by Kasarani (338,202), Lang’ata (286,238), Kisauni (278,188), Juja (275,280), Eldoret North (274,256), Saboti (269,032), Naivasha (250,251), Dagoretti (240,080) Molo (235,076), Lurambi (225,169) Turkana North (216,751) and Narok South (206,722).

On constituency division, the Ninth Parliament had proposed three population zones, each applying a different criterion in boundaries review.

These are: Urban (with between 80,000 and 100,000 registered voters), rural densely populated (between 60,000 and 80,000 voters) and arid and semi arid regions) with not less than 15,000 and not more than 35,000 voters.

Mr Paul Muite, then Legal and Affairs Departmental Committee leader, who spearheaded the exercise, says things will become easy if stakeholders agree on criteria to be applied across the board.

"They must also set the maximum number of constituencies the country should have. It should not be left open-ended. It is unaffordable to increase constituencies every election time," Muite said.

Former Cabinet Minister Mukhisa Kituyi said: "Kenya must suffer the burden of gerrymandering. We cannot take away tiny constituencies, but we must give justice where it has been denied," he says.

Inequalities abound in representation in nearly all regions. For example, in 1999, Mvita had 78,712 people in an area of seven square kilometres, compared to Kisauni with 278,188 people in an area of 113 square kilometres.

In arid northern region, Ijara had 41,628 people in an area of 6,198 square kilometres compared to Turkana North’s 216,751 in a 35 square kilometre area.

The Muite committee had proposed a working range of 80,000-100,000 people for urban area constituencies, which would give Kisauni three constituencies. But Mvita would remain the same, if it were applied

If the same formula were to be applied in Nairobi, Embakasi would get four constituencies, while Makadara, with 196,882 people, would be split into two.

Meanwhile, 17 Ukambani MPs have petitioned the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission to create a new province from the larger Eastern province.

The Ukambani Parliamentary Group said the new province should be called Lower Eastern and should have its headquarters in Machakos town.

"The move will enhance ease in administration of the region, which is very vast," said Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki, the Parliamentary Group secretary.

Speaking to The Standard on Sunday on Saturday, Kaloki said the MPs have proposed that each existing district be made a constituency.

Kaloki said the PG had also recommended the creation of more districts in Ukambani.