Elders petition IEBC, politicians over proposed boundary delimitations
Elders from Kitutu Masaba have petitioned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) against politicians they say are planning to influence the proposed delimitation of the constituency against the people’s will.
The elders, through their Kitutu Masaba Development Forum and Abagusii Cultural Welfare listed issues they wanted IEBC to take into consideration when determining new boundaries as it sought to divide the constituency, which is the largest in Nyamira county.
In a statement signed by the Forum’s chairman Barnabas Nyang’au, the elders who numbered more than 100 said delimitation of the constituency was imminent even if the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) had it as one of the proposals.
The BBI draft which is due for referendum proposes for formation of new 77 constituencies.
“We are concerned that Kitutu Masaba has close to 100,000 people and the IEBC should be considering to review it for division even if BBI were not to have it as a proposal,” John Mogere, the Secretary General of the Forum said.
Powerful minister
The elders decried a historical act by then powerful politicians from Gusii who influenced setting up of new boundaries of the present Nyamira and Kisii Counties which led to separation of families and clans.
To this present day, some families of Kitutu clan live in Kisii county while the other members are forming the current Kitutu Masaba constituency in Nyamira county.
“In 1989, a then powerful Cabinet Minister in the then Government annexed parts of Kitutu Central below Manga Ridge all the way to Ting’a area and made it part of the present Kisii county.
The sad situation remains the same up to now where blood sisters and brothers are separated due to selfish political interests,” Kenzo Orina, the chairman said.
The elders termed the historical decision hindrance towards social and economic development of the Kitutu people.
