Embu Governor Martin Wambora has urged Mbeere North residents to ensure they are counted during the ongoing census to protect the constituency.
Mbeere North is one of the 27 constituencies that could be scrapped if it fails the population threshold specified in law. Wambora and his wife Terrresia on Saturday led the county in taking part in the exercise.
Speaking to the press at his Mutundori residence, the county chief said he would not like any Embu constituency to be scrapped because that would deprive them of resources. Constituencies are allocated funds under the NG-CDF programme.
A similar appeal had been made by MP Muriuki Njagagua, who urged all residents to avail themselves for the exercise. The lawmaker cautioned that Mbeere North risks being scrapped during a boundaries review to be conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission using the census data.
Previously, Njagagua had urged residents to bear more children to increase their population. He gave cash rewards for those who gave birth.
In efforts to protect the numbers, Wambora urged enumerators to count the deaf who had earlier threatened to boycott the exercise for lack of interpreters. He appealed to the Kenya National Bureau of Standards to provide interpreters so the deaf get the assistance they need.
Earlier, Deaf Empowerment Society of Kenya CEO Jacob Ireri had asked the deaf who had threatened to kick out enumerators if they would not be accompanied by interpreters to cooperate so they could benefit from government’s planning.
Ireri said he had learnt through social media that the deaf were planning boycott the census. Across Embu, many residents said they had yet to be counted. They, however, expressed hope that officials would visit them before the exercise ends on Saturday.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
