• MP Duale says it is illogical that up to six constituencies from the region had no single birth recorded in the last decade
• Elgeyo Marakwet leaders vow to take legal action against KNBS
The results of the Sh18 billion 2019 population census appear to have touched raw nerves of political players who have demanded their immediate withdrawal.
Political leaders from Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Elgeyo Marakwet and Samburu on Wednesday rejected the results, challenging the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics to make public raw data captured before and during the August exercise.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale on Wednesday led 18 MPs from the three Northeastern counties of Wajir, Garissa and Mandera in rejecting the figures released by KNBS managing director Zachary Mwangi on Monday.
The leaders claimed the results of the three counties were deliberately cooked by senior government officials to marginalise the area further.
Duale said the results are not true reflections of the facts on the ground, and demanded the opening of the servers to ascertain real data right from pre-census mapping to the actual headcount.
"Don't think that you can cook numbers. If you want to sustain your tyranny take it to the bedroom, not the boardroom," he said.
Governors Ali Korane (Garissa) and Mohamed Mahmud (Wajir) accompanied the lawmakers during the press briefing at Parliament’s media centre.
“We are certain that data used especially for these counties came from pre-census mapping. These data which was released is false and not fit for purpose of the census as provided for both in the statistics Act and UN legal framework,” Duale said.
“There is specific, well planned, organised, deliberate plan by certain people in government to snatch certain people both their resources and representation given to them by the Constitution. We will not take it lying down, we will defend the people and ensure what the Constitution has given us will not be snatched.”
In 2009, Northeastern which combined the three counties had 2.39 million people but according to the Monday’s figures, the three counties recorded only 2.47 million signifying an 80,000 increase.
The Garissa Township MP also claimed the figures sharply contradict KNBS projection of the population growth in the three counties.
“We see substantial negative growth in Mandera and other subcounties which contradicts basic principle population, growth statistics and published regional fertility rate. Not reflective of KNBS projection of the annual rate of 3.2 per cent of NEP counties in 2009,” Duale said.
He said it is illogical that up to six constituencies from the region had not a single birth recorded in the last decade.
“Since 2009, Wajir North, Mbalambala, Lafey, Tarbaj and Mandera West had no single birth and there was a high mortality rate in those counties. The President must be concerned why people in those six constituencies are not giving birth and they are dying.”
Governors Korane and Mohamud called for a thorough audit of the census results threatening to move to court next week to challenge what they termed as a misrepresentation of the number of people in their areas.
The leaders also questioned roles played by chiefs, subcounty commissioners and county commissioners in the exercise which exclusively falls in the Treasury and Planning docket.
On the same note, leaders from Elgeyo Marakwet also rejected county’s numbers vowing to take legal action against KNBS.
MPs James Murgor (Keiyo North), Kangongo Bowen (Marakwet East) and Daniel Rono (Keiyo South) said they will resist any attempts to scrap their constituencies based on the figures announced.
Samburu Woman Representative Maison Leshoomo urged for a repeat of the census exercise in Samburu claiming most residents were driven out of the county by insecurity and drought.
Edited by R.Wamochie