Makadara MP George Aladwa on Thursday presented a bill in Parliament that seeks to reduce the number of counties from 47 to 46 by dissolving Kericho County.
This comes amid referendum calls to have constitutional changes made, among them reducing the number of representations in the government to see the reduction of the age bill.
Aladwa’s bill follows another proposal that was presented early this week by Kericho Couny Senator Aaron Cheruiyot who was seeking to have Nairobi County scrapped from counties and be put under the national government.
However, his bill was on Thursday dismissed by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who told him off Nairobi matters and concentrate on his Kericho County.
In Aladwa’s notice of motion to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the MP argues that Kericho residents can access services in Bomet, Nakuru, Nandi, Kisumu and Narok counties.
“The inhabitants of Kericho originally came from the mentioned counties to work in tea farms,” he says.
The MP says the population, electoral locations and administrative centres of Kericho can be divided amongst the mentioned counties.
Aladwa said a majority of Kericho residents, especially from the Kipsigis community, have over the years migrated to Laikipia, Trans Nzoia, Nakuru, Narok, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, and Bomet counties. Others moved to Mara Province in Tanzania, he said.
The former Nairobi Mayor said the enactment of the bill will save money.
However, Aladwa’s bill appears to be a retaliation to Kericho senator Aaron Cheruiyot’s bill seeking to dissolve Nairobi county and put it under the national government.