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Community demands district, constituency
By Titus Maero
KENYA TIMES
03. May 2007
Elders of a community in the North Rift Region have threatened to mobilise their kin to boycott the December General Election if the Government does not create a district and a constituency for them.
Forty elders from the Sengwer community, led by Dickson Rotich, said they were an autonomous community who deserved own district to enable them address the problems affecting them effectively.
Speaking in Eldoret, the elders said they wanted the new district to be curved from Trans-Nzoia, West Pokot and Marakwet districts.
The Sengwer reside in Cheranganyi Hills on the boundaries of the three districts. They are renowned or for bee-keeping for honey.
Last month, the community made their demands in a letter to the President signed by 26 elders.
“We have a population of over 100,000 people and deserve a district of our own,” they said.
The elders are now seeking an appointment with the Head of State to present their grievances which they said emanated from historical injustices against them by the neighbours.
“We have been given a raw deal by successive regimes in this county beginning from the late Jomo Kenyatta and retired President Daniel Moi in terms of resource allocation and development, and employment by the Government.”
As a minority indigenous group, we want the Head of State to recognise our community not only through creating a district for us, but also having parliamentary representative to enable have effective representation in Parliament.
The elders are proposing that the new district be called Cheranganyi district with its headquarters at Chebarus trading centre.
They also want a constituency so as to enhance their community’s participation in the country’s development
matters.
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