Scramble for constituencies

• Politicians meet to plot strategies to present to boundaries team

The clamour for constituencies has intensified as the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission prepares to move to Nairobi, Central and Rift Valley provinces for public hearings.

On Thursday, politicians from northern Kenya said they want constituencies on “a one kilometre, one vote” formula.

This comes a day after Central Kenya politicians met to plan what to tell the Andrew Ligale-led team.

Decibel higher

Politicians have dominated previous hearings in Coast and Western Kenya as debate shifts more towards elective boundaries with little being said about the districts.

The debate is likely to go a decibel higher with the expected publication of a draft constitution in early November. The draft is expected to propose a system of government that grants Parliament more authority, thus the scramble for more constituencies.

While Central Kenya is pushing for more constituencies based on numbers, northern Kenya wants more elective units based on the vastness of their areas. Both aspects are supposed to guide the review process.

MPs from Central, parts of Rift Valley and Nairobi met in Nairobi on Wednesday to forge a united front for population density to be used in creating new constituency boundaries.

The MPs see additional constituencies as an option that will keep a region relevant if it loses the presidency in 2012.

Led by President Kibaki, Central Kenya has been in the forefront in asking that the review team consider the high population in the area as it redistributes parliamentary seats.

In his Kenyatta Day address, the President said for there to be a “fair electoral process” it was important to ensure that there is “fair and equal representation in Parliament and civic authorities”.

“The need to apply the principle of one person, one vote led to the establishment of the Interim Independent Boundaries Commission in accordance with the Kriegler Report,” said President Kibaki.

He said that the boundaries commission would give Kenyans electoral areas with “approximately equal size constituencies demographically”.

But the President was criticised by two MPs from northern Kenya who said that his statements were likely to influence the Ligale team.

Fafi MP Aden Duale said central Kenya politicians were mistaken since the law stipulates that the boundaries commission considers more than population.

“If they feel that the issue should be one man, one vote they should know that we think it should be one acre, one vote. From this point then we can build consensus,” Mr Duale told the Daily Nation.

He said the President made a mistake by advocating for the one man, one vote formula.

Left their areas

Nominated MP Mohammed Affey agreed with him, saying northern Kenya represented 20 per cent of the country’s total land but was under-represented in Parliament.

“They have to take into account that most people have left their areas to seek jobs and other services not provided by the government. We should be having up to 42 MPs, not 11,” Mr Affey said.

But legislators from the President’s Central Kenya have said that they would ask the Ligale team to use “internationally accepted standards of voter representation”.

Mr Ligale has denied that the commission was exploring how another 100 constituencies could be created to raise the number to 310.