It’s time to rethink how voters are represented in parliament
When MPs who don't go to their constituencies to consult voters stand on the floor of parliament, they submit their own personal and political opinions under the guise of “the will of the people”.
What you need to know:
- Members of Parliament do not always go to their constituencies to consult voters.
- Some lawmakers only go back to their constituents during the campaign period.
The law-making process should keep pace with modern technology. Traditionally, representation meant that the higher the population, the higher the number of members of parliament. This has now proved to be ineffective.
MPs do not always go to their constituencies to consult voters. This is despite being paid mileage allowances. Some MPs only go back to their constituents during the campaign period.
When such MPs stand on the floor of parliament, they submit their own personal and political opinions under the guise of “the will of the people”.
The few MPs who do go to their constituents cannot seek the opinions of the majority of the residents. They only approach those of a certain economic and political class that hides behind the “people”. Moreover, Covid-19 has hampered physical communication between MPs and voters.
Technology offers the best solution to the representation conundrum. Today, Kenyans share their opinions on matters happening locally and in other parts of the world through the internet.
A system can be developed to send questionnaires to voters, who then respond at their convenience and submit their opinions for analysis by experts. The experts then present these views to the MP, who reports the same to the appropriate house of Parliament. The method has several advantages.
Participate in governance
It gives a platform for the people to participate in governance. Leaders submitting their ideas in an attempt to meet their own selfish needs will be in trouble. They will be judged as leaders who don’t respect voters, which should be enough reason to send them packing in the next elections.
Furthermore, it shall promote qualitative representation. This is where a few leaders represent more people because of the ease of communication. Consequently, this will reduce the cost of having more constituencies with the extra resources used in funding development projects.
Thirdly, it would reduce MPs’ mileage allowances. They can access the people’s opinions at the comfort of their offices without the need to travel for thousands of kilometres.
The amount saved can be used in other sectors to support our struggling economy. To make qualitative representation a reality, the government has to ensure that the whole country has, at the very minimum, 3G internet connectivity.
This shall itself bring more advantages not only to governance but also to the economy. Quality precedes quantity.
Lawrence Kariuki,19, is a student at the University of Nairobi School of Law.
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