Review of boundaries to take place after census

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati addresses journalists at Mombasa Law Courts after voting in the Law Society of Kenya elections on February 22, 2018. Mr Chebukati said IEBC will only re-align boundaries as provided for in the Constitution. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Chebukati said mapping and logistical plans were being done before re-alignment and drawing of the boundaries after the population census.
  • Chebukati said the electoral body is currently checking all the systems and processes as well as boundary delimitation

The envisaged review of electoral boundaries will be done after the 2019 population census, the electoral commission has said.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati said mapping and logistical plans were being done before re-alignment and drawing of the boundaries after the population census.

Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday after voting in the Law Society of Kenya elections, he said the commission will not create new constituencies.

Mr Chebukati said IEBC will only re-align boundaries as provided for in the Constitution.

“The commission cannot increase the number of constituencies. Creation of new constituencies is the work of Parliament. For us, we only re-align the boundaries and those of the wards,” he said.

CENSUS
Mr Chebukati said the commission county boundaries are administrative and require Parliament’s nod.

He said the outcome of the census, geographic and democratic and social factors will inform the manner in which the commission will re-draw the boundaries.

“Boundary review will be based on the outcome of the census. We will take the total number of population and divide by the number of constituencies or wards bearing in mind the urban and rural areas and other social factors,” he said.

The commission will be seeking to address the already existing boundary rows between Taita Taveta and its neighbouring counties of Makueni and Kwale, at Mtito Andei and Mackinnon road areas.

At the same time, Mr Chebukati said IEBC has embarked on reforms after a post-election analysis to boost Kenyans confidence in the commission.

REFORMS
He said the electoral body is not under pressure from constant attacks by politicians to carry out reforms, but it is doing so to improve management of elections in future.

“There are three levels of public administration: We have the politicians, the bureaucrats and the civil society, and the civilians, so everybody has to do their job.

"You know the work of politicians is to politic, but I am not a politician,” Mr Chebukati said.

“But as an institution we have embarked on the journey of transforming the body, the politician will make their political statements but the commission is working to reform its systems,” he added.

REVIEW
The chairman said the electoral body is currently checking all the systems and processes as well as boundary delimitation, which will be launched after the census.

The review of boundaries by IEBC is expected to end a year to the 2022 General Election.

Currently, Kenya has 290 constituencies, up from 210 in the review completed in 2012, and 1,450 wards created during the same period after promulgation of the Constitution.

The IEBC has said it needs about Sh8 billion to conduct the review of the constituencies and ward boundaries.

Mr Chebukati did not comment on Nasa’s reservation on its handling of boundaries review.

Speaking in Mombasa in January, Nasa co-principal Musalia Mudavadi had said IEBC could not be trusted with demarcating boundaries.