from Robert Alai
Dear all,
I have been following the debate on new constituencies by IIBRC. In my view, the MPs require some civic education. The time for gerrymandering is GONE! Period! The IIBRC is correct with all the figures except for Nairobi which has been given the minimum (of 9 new seats) it can ever get (3m/290 constituencies is approx24!). Out of the total 80 new seats, the IBRC (leaked) report has not yet allocated 6. Is this why the MPs are crying foul!
The distribution of the new seats per province will most likely look as follows:
Populatuions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CONSTITUENCIES
– -, Male, Female, Total, Quota, CURRENT, NEW, IIBRC
KENYA 19,192,458 19,417,639 38,610,097 133,138. 27 210 — 80*
NAIROBI 1,605,230 1,533,139.0 3,138,369.0 23.57 8 15.57 9
CENTRAL 2,152,983 2,230,760.0 4,383,743.0 32.93 29 3.93 4
COAST 1,656,679 1,668,628.0 3,325,307.0 24.98 21 3.98 4
EASTERN 2,783,347 2,884,776.0 5,668,123.0 42.57 36 6.57 7
NORTH EASTERN 1,258,648 1,052,109 2,310,757 17.36 11 6.36 6
NYANZA 2,617,734 2,824,977 5,442,711 40.88 32 8.88 9
RIFT VALLEY 5,026,462 4,980,343 10,006,805 75.16 49 26.16 26
WESTERN 2,091,375 2,242,907 4,334,282 32.55 24 8.55 9
TOTAL
Quota, CURRENT, NEW, IIBRC
290.00 210.00 80.00 74.00*
290.00 210.00 80.00 74.00*
No one should be crying foul over the new boundaries to me.
What do you think?
Kinyanjui Kamau | Senior Programme Officer | Governance and Social Services | National Council of Churches of Kenya | Jumuia Place | Lenana Road | POB 45009 | 00200 | Nairobi | Kenya | Tel +254 20 2724099 | Safaricom 0721388277 | Zain 0733758736 | www.ncck.org
Democratic nation-building is not simply a matter of persuading political leaders to subordinate their parochial interests to those of the nation. Real transformation requires not greater altruism from leaders and citizens, but rather a new recognition that their self interest can be more effectively advanced through collaboration and inclusive political processes. Howard Wolpe and Steve McDonald, Woodrow Wilson Center, February 2008-
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