This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
Published on October 9, 2019, Nairobi and Mandera have become the latest counties to reject the Punguza Mizigo bill proposed by Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot.
The bill, which aims to reduce the number of constituencies, has been met with opposition from several counties, including Kiambu, Nyeri, Siaya, Homa Bay, Murang'a, Nakuru, Makueni, and Kirinyaga.
During a public participation report debate, Nairobi MCAs unanimously rejected the initiative, terming it "unrealistic, retrogressive, and aimed at eroding gains by the 2010 Constitution."
Majority leader Abdi Guyo moved the motion, stating that passing the bill would be a betrayal of the people who opposed the initiative during the public participation exercise.
"It is not realistic to have only two representatives in counties such as Nairobi yet the county has over four million people," said Mr. Guyo.
Mugumoini Ward Rep Jared Akama added that the initiative would lead to the marginalization of smaller communities, as politics is about numbers, going against the spirit of the Constitution.
"The insinuation that political leaders in the country are a burden is not true as the political class spends only 10 per cent of the budget. This bill will therefore set the people against their leaders," said Mr. Akama.
Similarly, in Mandera, the assembly's Legal and Justice Committee, chaired by Mr. Mohamed Yussuf, urged MCAs to reject the bill in totality, arguing that the proposed amendment would perpetuate marginalization of the region.
"Scrapping of 290 constituencies and use of counties as a single constituency will be a recipe for conflict and multi-ethnic counties like Mandera will experience return of long forgotten clan animosities," said Mr. Yussuf.
