IEBC sitting turn chaotic as locals claim views ignored

By LINAH BENYAWA

Residents of Changamwe sent the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission sitting in Mombasa into confusion as they rejected the splitting of the constituency.

The debate almost turned into an exchange of blows with different groups supporting their own interests demanding to be heard.

The sitting was disrupted for a while as the two groups differed over the inclusion of Changamwe ward in Jomvu constituency demanding they wanted the ward to remain in Changamwe.

The IEBC commissioners, led by Yusuf Nzibo, were unable to contain the rowdy residents at the Bandari College hall as the debates turned chaotic over the boundaries allocation.

The commissioners were tongued-tied as they watched the heated debate from the infuriated locals, who claimed they were given a raw deal.

Quell chaos

Even Changamwe MP Ramadhan Kajembe could not control the crowd and it took the intervention of police officers to quell the chaos.

Meanwhile, Tourism minister and Mvita MP Najib Balala told The Standard on telephone from Nairobi he fully endorsed the IEBC proposals on the new boundaries.

"Those trying to malign the IEBC proposals have vested interests and fear losing clout among the electorate. The document might not be perfect, but we consulted and gave it a thumb-up," he said.

However, a resident, Mumo Mwinjiri, said, "The boundary commission did not consider our proposal. We had proposed Miritini ward to remain in Jomvu and leave Changamwe ward in Changamwe constituency."

Security officers were also forced to call reinforcement, as they were unable to contain the angry locals, some of who walked out of the meeting in protest.

There was another standoff when one member of the Mombasa Republican Council, Rashid Mzee, took to the podium and demanded Coast be made one county, a proposal that led to more chaos.

Reject boundaries

Angered by his sentiments, the locals shouted at him and demanded he get out of the podium.

The sittings were not smooth as the commissioners expected. Some residents vowed never to accept the just reviewed boundaries, arguing they were given a raw deal.

Another resident, Mgandi Kalinga, said their rights as Likoni constituents were violated after Ganjoni ward was removed and taken to Mvita constituency.

"We are saddened by the fact Ganjoni ward was taken away from us. This has been our only investment and major economic pillar. We demand the ward remain as it is," he said.

He argued with the removal of the ward, they would miss services subject to the corporate world.