This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, a section of Nakuru County Assembly members expressed their support for the Punguza Mizigo bill, a constitutional amendment proposed by Dr. Ekuru Aukot.
The bill, which was passed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), aims to reduce the cost of running parliament by cutting the number of MPs from 416 to 147, use the 47 counties as a single constituency unit for parliamentary elections, elect one man and one woman from each county to the national assembly, and abolish the position of deputy governor.
According to the bill, the counties' revenue share would increase from 15 percent to 35 percent, which the MCAs believe would add more revenue to the wards for development.
However, the National Assembly majority leader, Aden Duale, has warned Garissa MCAs against supporting the bill, stating that they would face the wrath of the people if they do so.
Dr. Aukot has vowed to soldier on with the Punguza Mizigo Initiative despite the ongoing Building Bridges initiative, which is expected to outline a roadmap for constitutional amendments.
