Boundaries: Emotions run high at IEBC meetings

Business

By STANDARD TEAM

Sentiments expressed in debates on the 80 proposed new constituencies are raising doubts over readiness to hold the General Election this year.

The new electoral units must be in place at least 12 months before a General Election, according to the new Constitution.

Water Minister Charity Ngilu and Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo arrive for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission meeting at Kitui Hall, on Wednesday. Nearly all IEBC sessions with residents of various constituencies across the country elicited some form of opposition. [PHOTO: PAUL MUTUA/STANDARD]

Debate on the proposed constituencies has been explosive in parts of the country during the ongoing hearings by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), with politicians mobilising supporters to oppose them.

The biggest opposition has come from the Mt Kenya region and parts of the South Rift, where leaders accused the IEBC of giving their areas a raw deal. There are also MPs who fear the proposed redrawing of boundaries will reduce their support base, while others want extra constituencies to create space for their ambitions. Yet others would like their constituencies to include areas they perceive to have their biggest support base.

But lost in the debate is the complex formula used by the defunct Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC) — whose report the IEBC adopted — to determine the location and size of the proposed units.

It appears to be a battle carried over from 2010 when several MPs accused the IIBRC of discrimination after details of the proposed units were leaked to the media before it could publish them.

Breach law

Most of those opposed to the new units argue that the IEBC should distribute them based largely on population density, but the IEBC opted to retain the technical approach adopted by the defunct IIBRC so as not to breach the law.

In addition to population density, the IIBRC was supposed to consider population trends, geographical features, means of communication, the need to ensure adequate representation of urban and sparsely populated rural areas, and community interests. They were also to consider boundaries of existing administrative areas.

Thus, unless the Constitution is amended, the IIBRC formula cannot be changed.

Article 89(5) of the Constitution requires that the number of inhabitants within the boundaries of each constituency be close or equal to the population quota.

This number can only be greater or less than the population quota by a margin of not more than 40 per cent for urban and sparsely populated areas at 186,393 and 79,883 people, and 30 per cent (173,079 people) in others. To arrive at the population quota, the IIBRC divided the national population by the number of existing constituencies and came up with 133,138.

The definition of what constitutes "urban areas" cannot be changed by the IEBC, which will have to use the national census figures in drawing up its final report.

Former Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara is among those aggrieved by the proposed changes.

"We have three constituencies in western Kenya whose combined population equals that of Naivasha. Denying Naivasha another constituency would be a grave injustice," said the former assistant minister.

In Nyanza, controversy, disagreement and clan politics dodged the ongoing debate on the boundary review while in Rift Valley, tribal and economic issues dominated the public hearings organised across the expansive region.

During the consultative forums, leaders claimed some wards with minority groups had been moved to constituencies where they were the minority. They are therefore vigorously advocating a review of the boundaries to take them to where they ‘rightfully’ belong.

Ethnic angle

In Nakuru’s Rongai constituency’s Wasegesi location, the debate assumed an ethnic slant with the Kikuyu saying they preferred to be part of Subukia. The Kalenjin insisted on remaining in Rongai.

The issue remained unresolved as the session ended with a recommendation that each side be listened to, and its views considered.

In Naivasha, there was unison in a demand for an extra constituency. But a section of the Maasai community demanded that they be given their own constituency, arguing they have been missing out on devolved funds.

In Nakuru town, the minority Ogiek community in Njoro area demanded special consideration for a constituency. Nakuru County leaders led by Nakuru Town MP Lee Kinyanjui and Kihara said the county had been given a raw deal by the Ligale Commission, which proposed five more constituencies instead of six.

In Molo, a section of residents opposed the scrapping of Sachangwan Ward and called for it to be reinstated, saying it is an integral part of Molo constituency.

In Kericho County leaders from Buret constituency reacted angrily to the proposal contained in a preliminary IEBC report that erroneously placed the constituency in Bomet County instead of Kericho County.

Belgut constituents are also unhappy with the boundaries as drawn, saying they placed all key factories and investments in one constituency leaving the proposed Sigowet "without anything".

In Kilgoris members of the Kipsigis community held a series of protest meetings opposing the carving of Njipship and Ololmasani wards from the new Emurua Dikirr constituency.

Baringo North pastoralists want the IEBC boundaries to separate them from residents of highland areas in representation.

Professionals from pastoralist communities led by their representative Joel Kimosop said that by bringing Bartum Location to Kabartonjo Ward was inconveniencing as the terrain and distance to Kabartonjo is far and the infrastructure poor.

In Meru region, the IEBC has proposed three new constituencies in Igembe Central, Mbuuri and Maara.

The chairman of Central Kenya Parliamentary Group, Ephraim Maina, who is leading the protest, said the region was shortchanged because the defunct IIBRC ignored the formula for cities when carving out new constituencies, except Nairobi.

Residents of Mt Elgon have also demanded that Cheptais, Chepkube and Kopsiro divisions be carved out to create another constituency.

— Reporting by Francis Ngige, Robert Nyasato, Karanja Njoroge and Vincent Bartoo

Business
Premium Burdened Kenyans walk into Easter weekend broke
Business
Premium Looming crisis as top lenders stare at Sh500b in bad loans
Business
Premium Water PS Korir put on the spot over Sh14m dam land
Business
Premium Ruto's food security hopes facing storm amid fake fertiliser scam