Kenya's list of proposed 80 new electoral units is out

By CYRUS OMBATI and DAVID OHITO
Barring court intervention, the names and location of the 80 new constituencies the Interim Independent Boundaries Commission (IIBRC) is expected to gazette any time now can now be revealed.
The proposed constituencies created in line with the decree of the Constitution promulgated in August, and which will take Kenya’s constituency tally up to 290 from 210, are in IIBRC’s provisional list.
The additional constituencies are, however, still contentious given threats by representatives of Central, Eastern and Coast Provinces to go to court on Monday to try and block IIBRC from gazetting them because of claims the formula used to create them was uneven and discriminatory.
If implemented the way it is, the new boundaries with drastically change Kenya’s electoral map and probably even change the power balance in Parliament.

Mutula Kilonzo

The distribution among the provinces, which has generated a lot of heat, but which has won support from Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western, Nairobi and North Eastern Provinces, could largely determine who controls the numbers in Parliament in the new political dispensation.
IIBRC’s list was made available even as Mathira MP Ephraim Maina — who chairs the Central Parliamentary Group — vowed they would fight them from all fronts.
"We will fight in all ways, including pushing for the disbandment of the IIBRC and in courts of law." He alleged the formula used to arrive at the number was against the Constitution, even though it had been endorsed by the MPs themselves.
eyes on teamEyes are riveted on the team chaired by Mr Andrew Ligale as the clock ticks towards the end of the life of the commission on November 27.
IIBRC adopted a technical approach anchored to county and constituency current population distribution and geographical spread.
In the provisional list, Nairobi Province gets an additional eight constituencies, making a total of 16. The populous Embakasi Constituency which has a population of 925,000 splits into four, Langata with 355,000 cut into three and Kasarani with 525,000 divided into three while Westlands, which has 247,000, splits.
Eastern Province, which is unhappy with its allocation, will get eight new constituencies. In Moyale County only North Horr will be split while in Meru County, Igembe and North Imenti will each be split. In Tharaka Nithi, only Nithi will be affected.
In Kitui County only Kitui Central will be split. In Machakos County, only Kathiani will be split while in Makueni County, Kibwezi will be cut into two. Protesting the allocation, Mutito MP, Kiema Kilonzo called on President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to ensure there was "justice and fairness".
"We are calling on the two principals to intervene because this is an important exercise. We are also asking the Commission to withhold its report since a critical mass is opposed to it," said Kiema.
Coast Province will get an additional five constituencies Coast Province will get an additional five constituencies with Mombasa County getting two new ones should Changamwe and Kisauni be split.
Kwale County may benefit when Msambweni is divided into two. Kilifi County may count its luck when both Bahari and Malindi are split.
In Rift Valley, an additional 27 constituencies are expected. Turkana County, which has three constituencies, will have an additional five making a total of eight. Nakuru County will enjoy six additional constituencies with Naivasha enjoying two new ones, Molo and Nakuru Town all split into two each.
West Pokot County will have one additional constituency with Kapenguria likely to be split. Trans Nzoia County will have an additional two constituencies while Uasin Gishu will have additional three.
Kajiado County will get three new constituencies with Kajiado North split into three and Kajiado South into two.
In Nandi County, Emgwen and Tinderet will be split.
North Eastern Province is set to get seven new Constituencies added to the current 11. Dujis, Lagdera, Wajir East and Mandera West will be split. The expansive Mandera Central will be split into three.
actual boundaries Nyanza will get 11 new constituencies with Ugenya and Alego Usonga under Siaya County split into two each. Kisumu County will have Kisumu Town East and Kisumu Town West split into two each.
Kasipul Kabondo and Rachuonyo will be split into two as well as Rangwe. Rongo, Migori and Kuria will have additional one constituency each.
In Kisii County, Kitutu Chache will be split as well as North Mugirango in Nyamira County.
Western Province gets an additional 10 constituencies to make 34. In Kakamega County, Malava, Lurambi and Mumias will each be split into two while in Vihiga County, Emuhaya, Sabatia and Vihiga will each be split.
In Bungoma County only Sirisia and Kimilili will be split while in Busia County, Amagoro and Nambale will be affected.
　
Process was skewedA section of politicians claimed the process was skewed while others welcomed the proposed units.
It was not immediately clear if the tight-lipped IIBRC would gazette the final list plus their borders as required of their mandate, which comes to end in less than two weeks.
Sources within the IIBRC technical team said drawing actual boundaries for the new constituencies appeared to be a challenge if the population quota formula was applied on the ground. The unit of analysis was pegged on provinces and population quota.
It took into account the national population which stands at 38,610,097 and then divided by the 290 constituencies to get the population quota, which is 133,138.6.
The law requires that the 210 existing constituencies should not scrapped even as the 80 news ones are created.
Lands Minister James Orengo and his Northern and Semi-Arid Lands Development counterpart Mohammed Elmi castigated calls for rejection of the list by a section of MPs, saying the commission had done commendable work.
The ministers argued IIBRC was nominated and approved by an Act of Parliament and has worked according to it.
Kilgoris MP Gideon Konchelah, Mr Nkoidila ole Lankas (Narok South) and John Pesa (Migori) criticised Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo for walking out on the IIBRC calling him a "a sycophant and unreliable leader".
RecommendationsThey said Mutula was using the wrong forums to scuttle the process. Ole Lankas said it was unfortunate that Mutula, who is the ‘patron’ of the process was going against the recommendations.
"We want to tell Mutula tell Kenyans the truth instead of peddling lies about IIBRC," he added.
Konchellah and Pesa said those opposed to the IIBRC recommendations were pursuing selfish interests. Pesa claimed it was a misplaced notion for some PNU legislators who had earlier spearheaded campaigned for the population quota formula to change positions.
Pesa argued that even President Kibaki’s Othaya Constituency did not meet the 133,138-population threshold for establishment of a constituency.
— Additional reporting George Olwenya, Nicholas Anyuor and Leonard Korir.