MPs approve amended boundaries report

After two days of acrimonious debate Parliament finally approved, with amendments, the contentious report by the Justice and Legal Affairs committee on the review of constituencies and wards boundaries February 29, 2012. FILE

After two days of acrimonious debate Parliament finally approved, with amendments, the contentious report by the Justice and Legal Affairs committee on the review of constituencies and wards boundaries.

The MPs recommended to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) creation of an additional 100 wards. The commission which proposes 1450 wards countrywide, can either approve or reject the recommendations of Parliament

The Justice and Legal Affairs in its report, proposed an additional 60 wards noting that the IEBC had based distribution of the wards on population size consideration alone. 

But to reach a consensus, the House which had been divided down the middle by the report, had to sit late into the night on Wednesday and approved it during a heated and protracted debate.

The night debate was marked by bitter exchanges and acrimony mainly between MPs from the same counties and neighbouring constituencies with clashing interests in the delimitation of boundaries in their areas. Clan rivalries were also played out on the floor of the House.

House Speaker Kenneth Marende, who presided over the lengthy sitting, had a difficult task bringing order to the House and controlling the emotive debate.

Mr Marende constantly urged the MPs to treat each other with respect and decorum and avoid name calling.

Earlier in the day, MPs who apparently did not get a favourable consideration from the committee and the IEBC unsuccessfully pushed to have the report rejected even before it was debated.

The bone of contention was the proposal of additional 60 wards. An attempt by Martin Ogindo (Rangwe, ODM) to amend the report to strike off the contentious wards was voted down. He argued that the recommendations could be pushed to the next review as provided for in the Constitution.

Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang (Mbita) and John Mbadi (Gwassi, ODM) complained that a nominated MP in the Legal Affairs committee was influencing creation of a new ward in the area.

Mr Kajwang asked that all the committee proposals be struck out. He was against renaming of his constituency to Suba arguing the new name had ethnic connotations.

Mr Mbadi later successfully moved an amendment to reverse the proposed changes.

Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo (ODM-K) clashed with David Musila of Mwingi South (ODM-K) with the assistant minister accusing the latter of inciting his constituents against him.

Public Works minister Chris Obure dismissed the committee work as shoddy accusing the members of treating the report casually. He was angry that a petition by Bobasi constituents was ignored.

Acting Finance minister Njeru Githae appealed to MPs to support the report saying Parliament was only enriching the report and correcting errors made by IEBC.  He cited a ward in his Ndia constituency which had been left out altogether in the report.

Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri (PNU) and  Laikipia West MP Muriithi Ndiritu (PNU) complained that the committee failed to point out the fact that Laikipia West with a population far beyond the constitutional requirement was not split .

Mr Kiunjuri singled out the Igwamiti ward in the constituency which has 69,000 people, more numbers than some newly created constituencies in sparsely populated areas, he argued. He vowed to go to court if the proposal is gazetted.

Moyale MP Mohamed Mahamud (ODM) described the IEBC report as "a tragedy" blaming the delimitation of boundaries on the formula spelt out in the Constitution.

He was angry that "the huge counties "of Marsabit and Isiolo were ignored in creation of extra constituencies.

The committee received more than 500 submissions from the public and politicians requesting for realignment of wards and constituency boundaries.

Earlier, the Speaker had advised MPs that they were free to move a motion to amend the report if they so wished.