By Alex Ndegwa

Clan politics and political ambitions set up Members of Parliament against each other during a dramatic vote on a report of a House committee on boundaries on Wednesday night.

Party lines were set aside as protection of turf against attempts by neighbors to shift boundaries became the paramount objective during the heated debate marred by unsavory exchanges.

After a sitting that lasted until 11pm, MPs adopted the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee report, which increased the number of wards by 60 to 1,510 and altered boundaries, after multiple amendments.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is required to, within 14 days, consider the House resolutions and submit its final report on boundaries of 290 constituencies and wards for publication in The Kenya Gazette.

Clan politics came to the fore as Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim and Dujis MP Aden Duale clashed over a proposed new ward in Garissa.

Mr Maalim successfully opposed a proposal to hive off a section of Garissa municipality and lump it with proposed Balambala constituency.

The Lagdera MP argued that the transfer of Medina Ward would result in the Auliyahan clan being the minority and "they are unlikely to get political power."

But Mr Duale questioned why Maalim had moved the amendment on behalf of nominated MP Amina Abdalla, a member of the Justice Committee, he accused of meddling in the region’s affairs.

"This is clan politics," Duale charged. Fafi MP Aden Sugow joined the debate asking Maalim to "allow people to integrate."

But Maalim responded: "This House must realise what is at play. Sugow and Duale come from the same clan. This is gerrymandering so that the minority clan would never get political power."

Nasty exchange

A furious Duale countered: "I challenge the deputy Speaker to contest against me either in Dujis or Balambala and I will defeat him."

Mwingi South MP David Musila engaged in a nasty exchange with his Mutito counterpart Kiema Kilonzo over Mwingi County politics.

Plans by Mr Kiema to run for Governor and Mr Musila the Senate seat stoked their differences. The Mutito MP unsuccessfully lobbied for a new constituency named Mwingi Central.

Musila countered: "No constituency was dropped. Mwingi South was split into two and renamed Mwingi West and East. What Kiema is doing is to incite people against elected leaders like myself and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.

"If a member goes to another member’s constituency, hires buses to ferry people to the National Assembly and pays them each Sh150 as they go home, that is bad manners," Musila charged, rallying members to oppose the proposal.

"I support Musila. Members should respect each other’s territory," said Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo.

Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ and Gwassi MP John Mbadi hit out at nominated MP Millie Odhiambo over an attempt to shift some parts of Gwassi constituency to Mbita constituency.

"This committee changed boundaries in Suba without consulting two elected MPs in the area because there is a nominated member who sits there," Mbadi claimed. "She moved the changes working with some people who had scribbled some things on foolscaps that I intend to overturn."

Mbadi successfully lobbied for the reinstatement of Ruma Nyaboto and Nyadendi (Ruma Kaksingiri) to Lambwe in Suba North saying: "The area has Ruma National Park and it is also my support base."

Assistant ministers Asman Kamama and William Cheptumo clashed over a ward whose creation the latter claimed was ill-conceived given the area was a hot spot for clashes.

"I had to save this guy because he was almost beaten by people over these demands," Kamama claimed, prompting Marende to direct him to apologise for referring to his colleague as "this guy." Kamama had opposed proposals to create Loruk Ward.

Cabinet ministers Soita Shitanda and Wycliffe Oparanya’s tag team on an amendment touching on Kakamega County did not go down well with Lurambi legislator Manyala Keya, either.

Before debate on the report began, Haji argued with Midiwo, setting the stage for heated exchanges.

The report forwarded to IEBC now recommends that an additional 100 wards be created. The commission has been asked to distribute the 1550 wards using the formulae spelled out in the Constitution.