Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has asked the government to defer the boundaries review to avoid sparking political conflicts.
The MP said the review will spark emotive politics worse than the general elections “at a time when the country is trying to heal”.
The review will follow the national census next year.
Ndindi said, instead, the government should consider reviewing its revenue allocation to ensure bigger constituencies are get more funds.
“Our country is in peace now. We should not do something that will undo the steps we have taken as a country since we held elections,” he said.
He said huge constituencies such as Kiharu should get more allocation to help serve the constituents better.
Mathioya and Kangema constituencies in Murang’a county have been listed among 27 constituencies that are set to be scrapped for failing to attain the population threshold set by the Constitution.
The two constituencies were split in 1992, with Mathioya having a population of 88,219, while Kangema has 78,988 people according to the 2009 census.
Lamu East, Lamu West, Mvita, Mwatate, Wundanyi, Voi, Bura, Galole, Isiolo South, Kilome, Laisamis, North Horr, Saku, Siakago (now Mbeere North), Ndaragwa, Tetu, Murkurweini, Othaya and Kangema are some of the constituencies that risk losing their status for not meeting the population quota.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati recently announced that the boundaries review will be conducted after the 2019 census, which will determine the population required for a constituency to remain.
But Ndindi said
even though the review requires to be done every eight to 12 years, the government can decide to shelve it.
“The law is made for man not the other way round and can therefore be reviewed, if people sit down and agree to find other ways of dealing with the issue,” he added.
The last review that was done in 2012 set the population threshold at 133,000 but the constituencies were protected by a constitutional caveat that will not apply in the coming review.
The MP pointed out that the MtKenya region is always disadvantaged by the funds allocation system that considers the size instead of population of individual constituencies.
“It is people who cast votes not kilometres, and these people require government services,” the MP said.
The MP said this while issuing bursary to over 500 university students who received Sh10,000 each on Saturday.