The IEBC does not have the mandate to resolve county boundary disputes, chairman Wafula Chebukati said yesterday.
The counties grappling with border problems will wait longer until a special committee is formed to hear their grievances.
Chebukati said in Kisumu the county boundaries are provided for under Article 188 of the Constitution and assigned to special teams or commissions formed by Parliament.
He said the responsibility of the commission is limited to political boundaries in the constituencies and wards. This is evident under Article 89, he said. Some counties are locked in boundary disputes that breed interethnic tensions and conflicts.
Recently, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang claimed some towns in Kisumu belong to the county. He called for a boundary review so they are made part of his county.
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Sang told the National Land Commission to readjust its common border to place Chemelil, Muhoroni, Miwani, Kibigori, Kibos, Koru and Kopere within its borders.
The Kisumu county assembly responded by passing a motion to have the IEBC and the NLC intervene.
The towns are on the border of the two counties. They are famous for large-scale rice and sugarcane farming.
Yesterday, Chebukati urged Kenyans to distinguish issues surrounding county, constituency and ward boundaries. He said boundary reviews at the constituencies and wards will come after next year’s census.
“We are only concerned with the constituency boundaries and all we are waiting for is the census results so we look at the population figures before redrawing the boundaries,” he said.
The review is not meant to reduce the number of constituencies but to ensure population is well distributed across the units.
“The Constitution is very clear that we have 290 constituencies. Therefore, there should be no fear,” the IEBC boss said.
He said politics will not scuttle the process.
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