Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top
February 7, 2018 | TJ Kajwang appears at the Ngong Law Courts where he was charged with consenting the administration of an oath on NASA leader Raila Odinga, binding him to commit a capital offence of treason/FILE

NATIONAL NEWS

Azimio MPs want boundary review halted, claim IEBC secretariat dysfunctional

Article 89 of the Constitution requires IEBC to review names and boundaries of electoral areas at intervals of not less than eight years and not more than 12 years.

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 26 — A section of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya legislators are now pushing for the halting of the impending boundaries delimitation by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Led by Ruaraka MP T.J Kajwang, the lawmakers, who had made their way to IEBC headquarters to protest the interdiction of the Deputy CEO Ruth Kulundu, insisted that the poll agency cannot conduct the exercise with a “dysfunctional” secretariat.

In particular, the leaders accused the IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein of disregarding the law in the conduct of the agency’s affairs a situation they said had rendered the commission in effective.

“IEBC must call to order Marjan Hussein and demonstrate to Kenyans that he shall abide by the value and principles of public service failure to which we shall demand that he relinquishes his position prior to the commencement of boundary review,” Kajwang said, reading a joint statement supported by six legislators who accompanied him.

The legislators from the Raila Odinga-led coalition threatened to take stern actions on IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati and the agency’s CEO for what they termed as favoritism and nepotism.

“We know that Chebukati is soon leaving the commission and with his new-found love with the regime he created, he is hellbent to destroy all structures we have labored to establish. We will not allow him,” Kajwang said.

Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi accused Chebukati of intimidating officials at the commission alleging that the Head of the Department of Boundaries, Caroline Manyagi, had been relegated.

“We have information that the head of that department has been relegated and her duties are now being performed by her juniors and we are saying we will not allow Chebukati to become a dictator,” Osotsi said.

IEBC is responsible for the demarcation of electoral boundaries guided by population and other considerations set out in law.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

According to Article 89 (5) of the Constitution, constituency boundaries are such that the number of inhabitants in the constituency is as nearly as possible to the population quota.

Article 89 of the Constitution requires IEBC to review names and boundaries of electoral areas at intervals of not less than eight years and not more than 12 years.

IEBC is set to use the official census data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics based on the 2019 population and housing census results to guide the review of electoral boundaries.

During the last review in 2012, a constituency was defined roughly by a population quota of 133,138.

Should IEBC maintain this figure, the likelihood of reorganizing constituencies becomes high given a significant population growth.

The quota is arrived at after dividing the total population with 290, the prescribed number of constituencies in accordance with the Constitution.

Recent reports have indicated that about 30 constituencies mostly from the northeast and coast regions may fail to meet the population quota setting them up for mergers to create room for the splitting of others with a significantly higher population.

About The Author

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News

Top stories

NAIROBI, Kenya March 29 – Six Kenyan traders were brutally killed in a cross-border shooting on Friday. The attack occurred in the Somali border...

NATIONAL NEWS

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 28 – In a significant development for the East African financial landscape, PayAngel, a global fintech company, has chosen Kenya as...

NATIONAL NEWS

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 28 – Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has been arrested in an investigation into claims of an extortion racket targeting...

NATIONAL NEWS

The prestigious event, known for honoring the continent's top young entrepreneurs and Chief Executive Officers under 40, will showcase Kenya's growing influence in the...

NATIONAL NEWS

NAKURU, Kenya, Mar 28 – The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Naivasha has acquitted Joshua Waiganjo of close to 10 charges against him. The offenses...

NATIONAL NEWS

President William Ruto directed the Ministry of Sports to work with the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the WRC to make this a reality.

NATIONAL NEWS

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 28 – Small-scale traders and importers can now breath a sigh of relief after the Government ordered the release of their...

NATIONAL NEWS

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 27 – The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has approved the establishment of an employee protection unit for victims of sexual harassment...