Balambala MP Abdi Shurie has accused Aden Duale, the National Assembly majority leader, of plotting to reduce the number of enumerators set to count the number of people in the constituency.
In a strong-worded statement, the MP said that Duale, who also serves as the Garissa Township member of parliament, had ‘ill-intentions’ that were meant to undermine his authority.
“Garissa Township MP engaged in clandestine operations with KNBS (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics) officials to reduce the enumeration areas for Balambala Constituency with the sole objective of embarrassing me,” Mr Shurie said in the statement.
“Upon learning; I dispatched a demand letter for REMEDIAL action through a law firm to KNBS,” he wrote, attaching a copy of the letter he sent.
In the letter, sent by lawyers, the MP accuses KNBS, the government agency that will oversee the national census next week, of not being prepared to conduct the exercise in the constituency.
“It is also clear that you have made no preparations of how to account for the hundreds of pastoralist families that have fled Balambala sub county to Wajir because of the draught that has affected the region,” part of the letter read.
During the last census, in 2009, there were claims that the numbers from the North Eastern region were manipulated in a bid to limit distribution of resources in the area.