Senator Danson Mungatana of Tana River has affirmed the Senate’s stance against the proposal to increase the number of counties from 47 to 56.
The proposition emerged during a session with the National Dialogue team, where nine Members of Parliament from various counties introduced a constitutional amendment advocating for the expansion.
They contended that their regions had been marginalized and deserved the advantages of devolution.
However, Mungatana has taken a contrary view, asserting that this move could set a precedent for more leaders to pursue the division of their respective counties.
He expressed concerns over the potential challenges of effectively enhancing devolution nationwide.
“Embracing such a direction might lead Tana River County to demand its own separate county status, and this sentiment could be echoed by another 47 counties,” he cautioned.
He further elaborated, “While I comprehend their perspective and sympathize with their position—since we made similar arguments when advocating for the original 47 counties—the reality is that everyone will seek subdivisions, new governors, but this approach is not feasible.”
Mungatana articulated his standpoint during a recent interview on Citizen TV.
In a collective statement directed to the dialogue team, the group of nine MPs defended their proposal, asserting their sincere commitment to reinforcing devolution’s core principles and facilitating essential development at the grassroots level.
“We earnestly urge the National Dialogue discussions to allocate dedicated time for deliberating on this matter during the upcoming sessions,” a portion of the statement read.
The outlined draft bill outlines the formation of several new counties.
These include Kuria County (48), comprised of half of Migori County; Teso County (49), encompassing half of Migori County; Mount Elgon County (50), spanning portions of Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties.
East Pokot County (51) would encompass the Tiati and Sigor constituencies, while Mwingi County (52), Gucha County (53), and Suba County (54) are proposed, involving the division of Kisii County and inclusion of Sube North and Suba South constituencies.
Furthermore, the proposal introduces Ijara County (55) in Garissa and Nakuru West County (56).
