UDA, ODM Politicians Join Hands to Reject 11 More Counties

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Friday, September 8, 2023 –A section of politicians have rejected calls to add eleven more counties on top of the 47.

Making his submission today on Friday September 8, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale reasoned that this country requires only 10 devolved economic units with universal suffrage elected representatives.

In his morning statement seen by this writer, the senator said 62 senators, out of whom, 20 should be elected through a universal suffrage model.

“In fact, current counties ought to be merged to create 10 viable economic units. 62 senators comprising 20 elected by universal suffrage (man & woman per county to be head and deputy head of county delegations) + 42 each representation our diverse ethnic communities (to be elected by respective county MCAs),” said Khalwale

He was supporting a point raised by Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly MCA Robert Alai who had advocated for strictly 20 devolved units.

The politician argued that, adding eleven units on the existing 47 would amount to wastage of public resources.

“We don’t even need more than 20 counties. Adding another 11 on top of the 47 we have is a complete waste,” said Alai.

In the statement issued by Khalwale who was reading on a somewhat similar script, the counties should be frozen to only 10 development units such as Western, Nyanza, North Rift, South Rift, Nairobi, Upper Eastern, Lower Eastern, North Eastern, Coast and finally Central Region.

The clamour for more counties recently started in Parliament where, at least, 26 MPs are pushing a proposal to create 11 additional counties in Kenya to bring the total number of devolved units to 58.

The eleven proposed counties are Kuria County from the existing Migori County, Teso County from the existing Busia County, Mount Elgon County from the existing Bungoma and Trans Nzoia Counties, East Pokot County from the existing Baringo and West Pokot Counties, Mwingi County from the existing Kitui County, and Gucha County.