Khalwale wants 47 counties scrapped for 10 economic blocks
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has proposed the scrapping of the 47 counties with 10 economic blocks.
In a statement on X on Friday, September 8, 2023, Khalwale said that each of the 42 tribes should have a tribe, plus 20 senators (male and female) representing the 10 economic blocks.
"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 representing our diverse ethnic communities (to be elected by respective county MCAs)," Khalwale stated.
The economic blocks proposed by Khalwale to replace the counties include Western, Nyanza, North Rift, South Rift, Nairobi, Upper Eastern, Lower Eastern, North Eastern, Coast and Central.
Khalwale was responding to a statement by Kileleshwa MCA Rober Alai who opined that adding 11 more counties was not necessary for the country.
"We don’t even need more than 20 counties. Adding another 11 on top of the 47 we have is a complete waste," Alai stated.
New counties
According to initial reports, 26 MPs are calling for the creation of an additional 11 counties in the devolved structure of governance.
Led by Additional Counties caucus chairman Marwa Kitayama (Kuria East), the lawmakers want the creation of Kuria, Teso, Mount Elgon, East Pokot, Mwingi, Gucha, Suba, Ijara, Nakuru West, Wajir South and Nyambene counties.
This means that should the proposal be passed and adopted by Kenyans, there will be 58 devolved units.
The MPs have already presented a memorandum to the National Dialogue Committee.
