Expert faults allocation of new electoral units

Eleven counties were “unfairly” denied new constituencies while 10 others were awarded voting zones that they did not deserve, an analysis of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission report on boundaries shows.

The analysis was prepared by Mr Johnson Sakaja, who was tasked by the Committee of Experts to come up with a chapter on representation during the Constitution review.

The boundaries expert has been consulting with the IEBC and was also a technical consultant for the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC).

“The IIBRC used a technically and legally flawed methodology to arrive at the final results of the delimitation process.

The imbalances created in this review are unacceptable and are testament to the professional and/or technical incompetence of the IIBRC.

It is imperative that we get it right in this first review, especially since the next review of constituencies will happen in no less than 10 years,” the report says.

The counties that received fewer constituencies than they should have include Nakuru, Bungoma, Meru, Kilifi, Mandera, Mombasa, Kericho, Uasin Gishu, Makueni, Trans-Nzoia and Kwale.

The analysis shows that given their populations, these areas should have received an extra constituency each.

The counties that unfairly gained extra constituencies include Kakamega, Homa Bay, Migori, Busia, Garissa, Nyandarua, Bomet, Baringo, Vihiga and Samburu.

Kakamega received two extra constituencies while the rest received one each.

Mr Sakaja argues that the IIBRC used a flawed method, which the IEBC has adopted, when distributing the new constituencies.

He says when the counties are ranked by population from the highest to the lowest, the analysis shows “how the results of the IIBRC in many areas are questionable”.

For instance, the analysis shows that Kakamega County with 1.3 million people received a total of 12 constituencies whereas Bungoma, with more people and 1,000 square kilometres larger, received nine constituencies.

“According to the ideal process, they both deserved 10 constituencies. It is interesting to note that Kakamega also got more constituencies than Nakuru County, which received 11 constituencies despite being more populous than Kakamega by around 300,000 people,” says the report.