Kenyans to know new constituencies by November

Written By:Carol Gakii/KNA , Posted: Wed, Aug 25, 2010

Caption: Names and boundaries of 290 constituencies will be known in three months time


Names and boundaries of 290 constituencies proposed in the new constitution will be made public in three months time.

The Interim Independent Boundary Review Commission whose mandate expires at end of November this year will also gazette boundaries of local authority units before the end of their mandate.

IIBRC intends to beat the deadline of its mandate by gazetting the names and geographical boundaries of the new constituencies before November 27th when their term expires.

The commission will also gazette details of local authority units.

No recommendation on the optimal number of the constituencies or their delimitation will be made to parliament as the new constitution clearly sets the parameters of the new outlook.

Nonetheless, members of public may challenge the decision of the commission through the High Court.

Speaking at a Nairobi hotel, the chairman said that the commission is zoning off areas that require special attention such as cities, sparsely populated areas and others that face geographical challenges, as set out in the new constitution.

"Our mandate requires us to make recommendations on district and other administrative boundaries. The information collected in the public hearings on administrative units will no doubt find use in the short term in delivering fair administration as guaranteed in the new constitution," Ligale said.

He also said that in combating these challenges, the commission has set up geographic information system laboratory for data analysis and has also employed the latest information technology to survey, produce maps and create an accessible digitalized database.

On-screen delimitation of all the 290 constituencies and wards will then be completed as soon as the commission receives feedback from the public.

"The boundaries we delimit will be valid for between eight (8) and twelve (12) years. We feel privileged to be part of launching this great country into the future by implementing the new constitution," Ligale said.

The commission has spent time collecting information on population, population trends, geography, and communities of interest and means of communication to be able to come up with information to delimit the country for easier management.