Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua has amplified the call to allocate funds to counties based on population rather than geography.
In an opinion published in The Weekly Post, Karua said the one-man-one-shilling push is a call for equality and equity.
“It is now time for this debate based on constitutional principles. It is not a tribal or exclusionist debate but a national conversation to review our current boundaries and reflect the contribution each region collectively brings to the country,” she said.
Karua, who sought to explain her position on the matter, said the issue of boundary review and resource allocation “cannot be wished away or as they say, be buried under the carpet.”
She said the establishment of the 290 constituencies did not abide by the population quota resulting in huge disparities that offend the constitutional principle of equality and equity.
“Skewed allocation which directly undermines essential services such as health and education in constituencies that have high populations takes the nation backwards in human development,” she said.
The Azimio principal added that the constitution cannot be implemented as an affirmative action for the minority at the exclusion of the majority.
She noted that Kenya has 290 constituencies against a population of 54.3 million people, according to the latest census.
“Going by these figures, the population quota of a constituency is 187,241 persons while the population quota of a ward for the 1,450 wards is 37, 448,” she stated.
“This essentially means the Electoral and Boundaries Commission in reviewing the boundaries must follow the dictates of the Constitution and bring all constituencies and wards to as nearly as possible to comply with the population quota.”
Karua noted that the commission is at liberty to adjust boundaries and create new constituencies in accordance with the principle that the population in each constituency or ward, being as nearly equal as possible to the established population quota.
She said a boundary review out to have been carried out before the 2022 general elections.
“We must therefore move with dispatch to rectify this situation lest we suffocate the voices of the inhabitants of overpopulated constituencies while conferring undue weight or influence to the underpopulated constituencies,” she said.
The Narc Kenya party leader explained that a higher population requires more funds for medicines and more health personnel
“Poor choices of leaders across the country has led to the lack of much progress in equalisation of infrastructure or development over a decade after promulgation of the Constitution,” she said.
