Vihiga MCAs have been urged to pass the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020, to protect Vihiga and Emuhaya constituencies from being scraped off.
Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi said on Tuesday that the two constituencies 'do not meet the population threshold'.
He said if the constitutional amendment fails to go through, the two constituencies will be scraped off during the boundaries review in 2024.
“If the two are scraped off, we as Vihiga people shall have lost a lot. The CDF kitty for one constituency will be scrapped, jobs will be reduced and development will be hurt,” the MP said.
Ososti said Vihiga county also stands to get more cash from the National Treasury if the bill is passed.
“Vihiga county receives about Sh4.5 billion from the Treasury and that cash is not enough to run the county due to pending bills,” the lawmaker said.
Osotsi said 80 per cent of the cash the county gets from the Treasury goes towards recurrent expenditure and only 20 per cent is left for development and infrastructure.
The MP was addressing the Building Bridges Initiative delegation in Emuhaya.
Vihiga MCAs have subjected the bill to public participation before deliberating on it.
Lugaga Wamuluma MCA Victor Ijaika said they will only consider the bill once their demands have been met.
“They have to provide the car grant to us before we pass that document,” he said.
Six county assemblies have already passed the bill. They include Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Busia, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot. Only Baringo county assembly has rejected the bill.
Twenty-four out of 47 counties are required to pass the bill. This means that the BBI change proponents now need 18 counties for the bill to make its way to Parliament and then a referendum.
