- Leaders appealed to IEBC to initiate the process of creating new constituencies
- Threaten to take the matter to court if electoral body fails to act
Constituencies in Kiambu with huge populations should be split to create new electoral areas following the census results, leaders have said.
The constituencies include Ruiru which leads with a population of 371,000, Juja (300,000), Thika Town (284,000) and Kiambaa (236,000). The county’s total population is 2.4 million.
Leaders have appealed to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to initiate the process of creating new constituencies for equitable representation and allocation of government resources.
Some of the leaders who are pushing for the creation of new electoral areas include Ruiru MP Simon King’ara, county assembly Speaker Stephen Ndicho who once represented the larger Juja constituency, former Ruiru MP Esther Gathogo and Ruiru’s Biashara ward MCA Elijah Njoroge.
Speaking separately on Thursday, King’ara, Ndicho and Gathogo said Ruiru should be split to create three new constituencies on account of the huge population as shown by the census results.
“The census has revealed that Ruiru is equivalent to some counties in the country in terms of population and yet we still receive the meagre Sh100 million annually in government funding. There is a need to split the constituency and increase funds allocation so that all residents can benefit from the national cake," King’ara said.
He said the census results were a reflection of the country’s actual population which showed Kiambu as the second most populous county after Nairobi (4.3 million).
“The figures have not been cooked as some people are claiming. They are collect,” he said.
Gathogo, who was the first MP for Ruiru after it was hived off the larger Juja constituency, proposed creation of Githurai constituency.
“There’s a clear need to split Ruiru. The current population which is still increasing cannot be properly served with the little funds from the government. I suggest we have another constituency here named Githurai,” she said.
Juja politician George Koimburi said should the IEBC fail to act on the proposal to create new constituencies, they would go to court to have the electoral body compelled to do so.
“We have legal grounds to compel the IEBC to create new electoral areas. If they won’t heed our proposal then we’ll have no otherwise than to seek legal redress on this matter," Koimburi said.