Members of minority Ilchamus community have protested over what they term discrimination in boundaries delimitation, which has cost them elective positions.
Their marginalisation is so bad that since the country's Independence in 1963, not a single member of the community has ever been elected as a Member of Parliament.
Twelve members of the community have filed a class action against the state seeking an order to compel the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to demarcate the boundaries of community land belonging to the Ilchamus and register the same as community land.
Also sought is an order compelling the state to ensure that at least 8.35 per cent of the electoral and appointive positions in Baringo county assembly and government are occupied by Ilchamus.
The Ilchamus, also known as Tiamus, Njamusi or Njemps, are a distinct indigenous Maa-speaking group that settled on the islands of Lake Baringo in the 18th century.
Prior to delimitation of counties and wards by IEBC in 2012, they fell within Baringo Central constituency which had 23 wards out of which five were occupied by Ilchamus.
The 23 wards were under administration of 54 councillors, out of whom only four were lchamus. The remainder of Baringo Central was occupied by Tugen and Pokot communities.
And following delimitation of boundaries, Baringo South constituency was allocated four electoral wards namely Mukutani, Marigat, Mochongoi and Ilchamus.
According to the Kenya Population and Housing Census report of 2019 Baringo county has 666,733 people out of which the Ilchamus comprise a meagre 32,949.
And because of their numerical weakness they are unable to participate meaningfully in elections. They stand no chance of being competitively elected to the position of governor, deputy governor, senator, MP or even MCA in various wards, they told the court.
Out of the 30 electoral wards in Baringo the Ilchamus community has been able to only elect one MCA.
“Equally, by virtue of their small numbers, the Ilchamus do not have sufficient voting power to elect a leader of their choice. It is critical to note that since the creation and delimitation of the Baringo Central constituency in 1963 no person from Ilchamus community has been elected as a Member of Parliament,” court was told.
However, members of Ilchamus have complained that they have been victims of cattle rustling by neighbouring communities of Pokot and Tugen.
They believe it is their right to be protected but the national government has failed to stop the rustling and burning of their properties, they say.
They now want the state to be compelled to deploy adequate law enforcement resources in Baringo to combat the rustling.
They also want compensation for violation of their rights.
Edited by Henry Makori
