Northern frontier leaders oppose plans to merge counties - KBC

Leaders drawn from the former northern frontier regions are opposing plans to either merge or reduce counties.

The leaders argue that merging constituencies will create electoral districts that will be too big to manage and will see the region which for decades has been marginalized disadvantaged.

Governors and members of parliament from pastoralist areas have declared they will not support any proposal to amend boundaries, vowing to defend devolution.

Led by majority leader in the national assembly Aden Duale the leaders also faulted Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich over what they term as a violation of constitutional provisions by withholding the Equalization fund meant for pastoral counties.

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The leaders who held a two day meeting under the Frontier Counties Development Council and Pastoral Parliament Group held in Garissa town vowed to push for an increment of devolved funds.

The meeting was attended by 10 governors and several MP’s.

Religious leaders

Separately, religious leaders have been challenged to quit issuing platforms to politicians during prayers to push for their personal interests.

This was the message at an inter-religious forum in which the leaders decried the decaying moral fabric which they say is responsible for the wanton looting of public funds and tribal animosity.

The inter-religious leaders at a peace meeting in Nairobi, revisited the controversial subject of the thin line between religion and politics with a section of them urging their fellow religious leaders to desist from playing politics at the religious pulpit.

The leaders expressed concern on what they say is a decaying moral fabric, wanton looting of public resources urging Kenyans to unite in the fight against corruption which is threatening the country’s development.

Pledging to give moral direction, they also warned against political witch-hunt in the fight against graft urging for sobriety in the ongoing purge on persons implicated in graft.

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