Leaders in Uasin Gishu County have petitioned the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government to conduct public participation before introducing new administrative units in the County.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said they have already delivered a petition signed by all elected leaders in the County to the Ministry asking the Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i to hold any plans of creating new divisions and locations until proper consultation and public participation was undertaken.
“As leaders of this County, our input and that of the public is paramount before the planned divisions were implemented and we want Interior Ministry involve all Stakeholders before such plans are effected,” said Mandago during the burial of the late father of Kenya’s Ambassador to Pakistan Prof Julius Bittok.
The leaders advised that activities around the creation of new administrative boundaries should stop until the County Assembly, Members of Parliament, the public, and other key stakeholders from the county were fully consulted through coordinated public participation forums.
The Governor expressed optimism that the issue could be amicably resolved through consensus only public participation forums were conducted to address divergent views.
‘Essentially, the function of boundary review is supposed to be done by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the one done by the Ministry of Interior should be clearly defined so that the public is fully informed,’ said Mandago
Uasin Gishu Assembly Chief Whip David Sing’oei, Cheptiret/Kipchamo MCA Gilbert Tenai and politician Jonathan Bii said, residents should be consulted on such matters with Sing’oei claiming neither the Governor nor the County Assembly or the residents were consulted on the plans to create new administrative units in the County.
Bii said IEBC was the only lawful entity mandated to conduct boundaries review hence should be allowed to undertake its duty, after involving the public through to make the whole exercise legal and in tandem with the constitution.
By Kiptanui Cherono
