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News
Thursday, June 28, 2001
Plea over electoral borders
By WATORO KAMAU
and ONDERI KEBATI
The Electoral Commission has been
asked to review electoral boundaries in Nakuru to achieve fair
representation.
Sparsely populated wards should be
merged and densely populated ones divided to ensure effective
representation, the commission was told.
Nakuru District Commissioner James
ole Sirian suggested that civic wards with less than 2,000 voters
be merged.
Mr Siriani said the four local
authorities in Nakuru District with an estimated population of 1.2
million people can pay the salaries of extra councillors if they
are properly managed.
However, the DC proposed that
Marioshoni and Nesuit wards, which have less than 2,000 voters
each, remain as they are, because they are occupied by members of
the minority Ogiek community.
Mr Siriani made the recommendation
to the Commission, which held a public session in Nakuru town on
Tuesday.
Seven commissioners led by the
chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu, received recommendations from the
public on the review of civic ward boundaries and location of
polling stations. The DC also urged the commission to consider
creating another ward in Kiambogo Location to ensure fair
representation. He also suggested that Subukia and Bahati wards be
split. Mr Kivuitu said most wards created before 1997, when the
Ministry of Local Government was allowed to define civic
boundaries, did not serve their purpose, giving the example of
Wajir where he said some wards did not have any people.
The Nakuru County Council chairman,
Mr James Tuwei, said the government's failure to issue the youth
with identity cards had hampered voter registration in the
district.
Mr Tuwei said polling stations
should be distributed fairly. In Gucha District, residents were
told that only the Electoral Commission can transfer or abolish a
polling station.
Therefore, the Electoral
Commission's vice-chairman, Mr Gabriel Mukele, told a meeting on
the review of electoral boundaries at Tendere High School, the
transfer of Borangi polling station to Tukiamwana was illegal.
Mr Nyangacha Mwabe, who led a
delegation to the meeting, complained that a provincial
administrator and a politician had colluded to have the polling
station transferred.
A Lawyer, Mr Elisafan Angima said
since democracy was about fair representation based on population,
there was need to increase polling stations and civic wards in
Gucha district to facilitate representation.
Mr Angima said mismanagement of
resources has impoverished Kenyans and therefore there was need
for all Kenyans to map out strategies of using resources properly.
Link : http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/28062001/News/News23.html
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