The National Assembly Majority Leader, Aden Duale has cautioned Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) against scrapping off some constituencies in North Eastern region based on last year’s census results.
Duale said that the region’s leadership will not entertain any effort to scrap off any constituency or ward in the area.
Speaking at Najah Islamic centre on Monday, the Garissa township MP said if anything all the residents want is the number of constituencies and wards increased.
The vocal MP said that there was a scheme being orchestrated by people in the government whose sole intention was to portray the region as one with low population something that he noted would mean fewer resources.
Duale said that until and unless the ‘doctored census’ result is corrected then it ‘won’t be business as usual’.
“We are telling bureaucrats in the government that we have the raw data of Balambala, Lagdera and all the constituencies and the truth will finally come out. We will not allow those games to be played on us,” Duale said.
“We will not allow you to deny us county resources, extra constituencies and wards based on cooked figures. We know the whole game being played and we will not allow that,” said the visibly angry Duale.
Duale said marginalized parts of Kenya have realised the fruits of independence only after the promulgation of the 2010 constitution.
He however, regretted that the ‘reality is now in danger courtesy of the fabricated census results’.
The 2019 census figures showed that Balambala had the least population at 32,252 followed by Lagdera at 50,315. Dadaab has the highest number after recording 185,252, followed by Garissa Township at 163,914.
The data showed that the three North Eastern counties have a combined population of 2,490,073, compared to 2.3 million people in 2009. Garissa and Wajir have 841,353 and 781,263 respectively, while Mandera has 867 457.
Duale also hit out at those calling for supporting the ‘one man one vote’ as for them it was one Km one Vote.
The Gatundu South MP, Moses Kuria is one of the leaders from Central Kenya who has been vocal about the matter, saying they will not entertain any other thing other than ‘one man one vote’.
“Who are you to tell us one man one vote? Do you think Kenya belongs to you alone? Most of our MPs cover between 10,000 to 17,000 square Kms. Kenya is defined by the map by the land size and by population,” Duale said.
Duale said that going forward they will ask for the Ijara and Wajir south to be split because of the land mass.
By Jacob Songok
