Kiambu County which is the home county for President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to reap big in the Buiding Bridges Initiative (BBI) if it sails through.
Kiambu is poised to gain an extra 21 constituencies if proposals of the BBI report is implemented.
The report, which was launched by President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga proposes an expanded legislature in a system that abolishes nominated seats.
In the National Assembly, BBI proposes 360 members elected from single and multiple-member constituencies.
The extra 70 MPs will be drawn from constituencies with large populations whose residents face the risk of being under-represented. The strategy is expected to also address the controversial gender rule and representation of youth and people with disability.
“As a region, we have complained against under-representation in Parliament. Kiharu has about 300,000 residents but has one MP. Some constituencies have 5,000 residents. The imbalance needs to be corrected in a fair manner. I am happy BBI did not kill any constituency hence no one will complain,” Senate Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata told a local daily.
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According to Kang’ata, the proportional representation is a positive electoral mechanism which will correct under-representation in the Mt Kenya region. He says it encourages the multi-party system since it incentivises growth of small parties. Kang’ata is a proponent of the “one-man-one-shilling vote” principle.
“Parties get an incentive to go national as opposed to going regional. Under represented persons, like persons with disabilities, will get priority slots,” he added.
Currently, there are 290 elected members of the National Assembly, 47 women reps each representing a county and 12 nominated MPs representing women, youth and people with disability. This makes a total of 349. The BBI report, in its proposals, noted that the success and sustainability of democracy depend on fairness of representation in the electoral system.
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