Small constituencies that risk being scrapped off after census could after all survive due to a bill authored by Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has a mandate of reviewing boundaries after every 8 years, a move that means the exercise will be undertaken after August census.
The country is set to go for the census exercise, which will be used to determine demarcation of new boundaries based on the constitution. Small constituencies are set to be scrapped.
But the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen wants to have parliament having the final say on boundaries, a move that will give it exclusive powers to determine which constituency remains.
Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill 2019 will subsequently, strip of IEBC powers to determine boundaries, a move that will allow MPs to defend their colleagues whose areas of jurisdiction could be in crisis.
“The Bill seeks to make it mandatory for IEBC to submit a report to Parliament containing details of proposed alterations to the names or boundaries of constituencies, and number, names, or boundaries of wards,” the proposed law states.
It continues: “The commission shall publish in the Kenya Gazette the final report as approved by Parliament within seven days of approval."
Currently, Kenya has 290 constituencies but at least 30 we're set to be merged due to a small population. Census exercise starts in August 24th.
Under the current law, a constituency should have at least 100,000 registered voters. Those that were facing elimination are in the Coast and Northern Frontier Districts.