IEBC To Scrap-off 40 Constituencies With Less Population

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission could be forced to scrap off at least 40 constituencies that fall below the required population threshold.

According to the Census 2019 results, 40 constituencies are below the standard population required by the constitution for a place to hold elections.

According to the constitution, the “population quota” means the number obtained by dividing the number of inhabitants of Kenya by the number of constituencies or wards.

The current population of Kenya stands at 47,564,296 million and the number of constituencies stands at 290.

Going by the calculations stipulated in the constitution about population quotas, each constituency should have at least 164,041 people.

The less populated constituency should be allowed to have 114,889 while the largest (city populated) should have around 213,378 people which most constituencies failed to reach.

The ball is now on the IEBC’s court as they will be expected to conduct a boundaries review on the 40 constituencies before the end of 2022 and come up with the final decision.

As article 89 of the Kenyan Constitution states, “The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall review the names and boundaries of constituencies at intervals of not less than eight years, and not more than twelve years, but any review shall be completed at least twelve months before a general election of members of Parliament.”

“The Commission shall review the number, names, and boundaries of wards periodically.
If a general election is to be held within twelve months after the completion of a review by the Commission, the new boundaries shall not take effect for purposes of that election.”

“The boundaries of each constituency shall be such that the number of inhabitants in the constituency is, as nearly as possible, equal to the population quota, but the number of inhabitants of a constituency may be greater or lesser than the population quota …”

Since the Government did not allocate any funds for the boundaries review in this year’s budget, the IEBC will have to wait for the next financial year.

IEBC should conduct the boundaries review by August 2021 if the elections are to be held in 2022.

The following are some of the constituencies that might be reviewed by IEBC;

• Lamu East
• Lamu West
• Mvita
• Mwatate
• Wundanyi
• Voi
• Bura
• Ndaragwa
• Tetu
• Mukurwe-Ini
• Othaya
• Kangema
• Mathioya,
• Samburu East,
• Marakwet East,
• Keiyo North,
• Mogotio,
• Vihiga,
• Budalangi,
• Isiolo South,
• Kilome,
• Laisamis,
• North Horr,
• Saku
• Mbeere North.
• Kuria East
• Elgon
• Laikipia North
• Tiaty
• Keiyo North
• Samburu North
• Pokot South
• Turkana North
• Loima
• Mwingi East
• Eldas
• Lafey
• Kathiani