- According to the Constitution, IEBC is required to demarcate the boundaries every eight to 12 years and not later than 12 years.
- IEBC is expected to use the 2019 census which placed the total country’s population at 47.5 million in a process to be concluded next year.
Image: LOISE MACHARIA
A legislator has now petitioned Parliament to explain when the long-awaited boundary review by the electoral commission will begin.
Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria also wants to know the criteria to be used to guarantee a fair process.
In a query that has since been committed to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, Gikaria notes that the process which is provided for in the Constitution ought to have started.
“The Commission should state when it is intending to carry out the exercise of review of constituencies and wards boundaries as stipulated in the Constitution,” reads the notice in the order paper.
He also wants the agency to “provide details of the ‘protected constituencies’ and how it will ensure the boundary review process does not interfere with the same”.
Laisamis MP Joseph Lekuton on his part wants the agency to provide a report on the last review or exercise undertaken, if any, on constituency or county boundaries markings undertaken.
The last boundaries review was conducted in February 2012 by the now-defunct boundaries review commission, a process that culminated in the formation of the current 290 constituencies.
According to the Constitution, IEBC is required to demarcate the boundaries every eight to 12 years and not later than 12 years.
It is dictated by the periodic population growth and is aimed at ensuring there is equitable distribution of resources ranging from constituency development funds to government facilities.
IEBC is expected to use the 2019 census which placed the total country’s population at 47.5 million in a process to be concluded next year.
During the last review, a constituency was defined by a population quota of 132,138.
The law provides that the population of a constituency must be higher or lower than its quota by 40 per cent for cities and sparsely populated areas, and 30 per cent for other areas.
The Commission is now in a tight spot after its budgetary allocation was slashed by Sh9.8 billion.
It has been allocated Sh4.5 billion in the 2023-24 budget despite requiring Sh7.2 billion for boundaries delimitation and Sh2.6 billion for pending legal fees.
The commission had wanted Parliament to allocate it Sh14.3 billion in the next fiscal period.
Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) chair George Murugara told the Budget and Appropriations Committee that there will be no boundaries review if money is not allocated.
“We haven’t been given any money for boundaries delimitation, they are asking for Sh7.2 billion. If you don’t do this, we have no clue what the court will do. Possibly they may try to disband some of us,” Murugara told the Ndindi Nyoro-led committee.
A periodic review of constituency boundaries is necessary to keep up with population growth to accommodate new constituencies for populous units.
This will in turn guarantee equitable representation and fair distribution of resources such as constituency funds.