Why 27 Constituencies in Kenya Might Miss Out on Electing MPs in 2027
Former Farmers Party leader Irungu Nyakera has issued a serious warning that 27 constituencies in Kenya could be removed from the electoral map if the stalled boundary review process isn’t started soon.
He emphasized that if action is not taken quickly, these areas might lose their legal recognition — meaning no Members of Parliament could be elected from them in the 2027 General Election.
In a statement released on Tuesday, April 22, Nyakera stressed that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) needs to be reconstituted urgently.
He also called for the quick implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) legislative proposals.
According to him, this could either help extend the deadline for the boundary review or create legal safeguards that would permanently protect these 27 constituencies from being scrapped.
He further urged the Supreme Court to provide an advisory opinion to clear up the legal uncertainty around this issue.
“To prevent a national crisis, IEBC must be reconstituted immediately, and the NADCO proposals need to be turned into law.
The Supreme Court should also step in and give legal advice to provide direction,” Nyakera said.
Nyakera explained that these 27 constituencies were originally created in 2010 under special circumstances. At the time, they did not meet the minimum population numbers required by the Constitution but were allowed to exist as an exception.
This was allowed under Article 89(6) of the Constitution, which permits a constituency’s population to vary by up to 40 percent for cities and remote areas, and by 30 percent for other regions, from the national population quota.
“These constituencies were formed in 2010 even though they didn’t meet the population size required by law.
They were created under special exceptions outlined in Article 89(6),” Nyakera explained. He pointed out that the Constitution only allowed them to operate temporarily, with the condition that the IEBC would carry out a boundary review no later than March 2024.
Nyakera added that this boundary review did not take place because the IEBC is currently not fully formed.
With no appointed commissioners, the IEBC secretariat took the matter to the Supreme Court in February 2024.
They asked for legal guidance on whether they could legally perform the boundary review process without commissioners and beyond the constitutional deadline.
“The IEBC failed to conduct the review by March 2024 because it has not been fully constituted. In response, the IEBC secretariat went to the Supreme Court earlier this year seeking an advisory opinion on whether the review could proceed without commissioners and outside the set deadline. The court has not yet issued a ruling,” Nyakera said.
Nyakera went on to mention some of the 27 constituencies at risk of being scrapped. These include:
- In Coast Region: Bura, Galole, Lamu West, Lamu East, Mvita, Voi, Wundanyi, and Mwatate
- In Eastern Region: Mbeere North, Isiolo North, Isiolo South
- In Rift Valley: Marakwet East, Keiyo North, Keiyo South, Samburu East, Samburu North, Turkana East, Turkana North, North Horr, Moyale
- In Central and Eastern Kenya: Igembe North, Igembe Central, Igembe South
- In Western and Nyanza: Kuria East, Kuria West, Teso North, and Teso South
These areas could be left without parliamentary representation if no urgent legal and institutional steps are taken.
Nyakera’s warning serves as a call to action for political leaders, lawmakers, and the judiciary to ensure that no Kenyan constituency is left behind in the 2027 elections.
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