Ruto, Raila talks team wants electoral boundaries delimitation altered
National Dialogue Committee co-chairpersons Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichung'wah flanked by committee members present their final report at the Hilton Garden Inn on November 25, 2023.
The National Dialogue Committee, composed of representatives of President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga wants the Constitution amended to allow Parliament to alter the 12-year deadline for the electoral commission to review boundaries of constituencies and wards.
At the same time, the committee, which tabled its report on November 25, wants Parliament to enact the County Boundaries Bill within the next six months to provide a legal framework for the review of county boundaries.
The Constitution currently provides that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) reviews the boundaries, names and sizes of constituencies—as well as the number of wards—within a minimum period of eight years and 12 years.
The last boundary delimitation was in March 2012. This means if the law is not changed, the IEBC needs to finish its process by March 2024.
This, the IEBC says, is just not feasible as the commission has no sitting commissioners.
“The committee recommends that the Constitution be amended to provide that Parliament may extend the intervals within which the review of boundaries may be done by a resolution of at least two-thirds of the members,” the Bomas talks team said in its report.
It went on: “Parliament shall within six months of the adoption of this report enact the County Boundaries Bill, 2023 to provide a legislative framework for review of the County boundaries as provided for under Article 188 of the Constitution.”
The County Boundaries Bill, 2023 seeks to provide for county boundaries, a mechanism for the resolution of county boundary disputes.
“Enactment of the Bill will give effect to Article 188 of the Constitution by providing for the procedure for alteration of county boundaries and provide for the establishment of an independent county boundaries commission,” the report says.
