Sabaot Community Want Hastening of Bill on Creation of Mt Elgon County

Members of the Sabaot community residing in Trans Nzoia and Bungoma Counties have urged the National Assembly to expedite the passage of a Constitutional Amendment Bill that has proposed an increase in the number of counties.

The bill sponsored by Kuria East Member of Parliament Marwa Kitayama wants the number of counties increased from the current 47 to 52.

Mt. Elgon, Kuria, Teso, East Pokot and Mwingi counties are the proposed additional counties.

Speaking to the press in Kitale town, the Sabaot community members claimed that they have been marginalized and discriminated against in the two devolved units.

Led by the Elgon Maasai clan chairperson Francis Chemwor, they said the community has never enjoyed the fruits of devolution despite paying revenues honourably to Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties.

“While both Trans Nzoia and Bungoma are our original homes, we are considered a minority community. We do not get our rightful share of resources and employment opportunities,” Chemwor said.

He further noted that while the rest of Kenyan ethnic communities are celebrating the gains of ten years of devolution, Sabaots have nothing to show.

“Devolution conference is underway in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu. It is very embarrassing and very sad that no member from the Sabaot community has been invited as a delegate,” he said.

On his part, Willy Ndiwa Kapkara a member of the Sabaot Council of Elders said the creation of a county to be named Mt. Elgon County will uplift the living standards of the community.

“We have several jobless professionals in our community.  If we had our own county majority of the professionals would have been absorbed, hence unemployment rate will be reduced,” Ndiwa said.

Recipe for conflict

Similar sentiments were shared by Rev. Peter Chemasuet, an anthropologist and a peace ambassador.

He noted that continued discrimination of the Sabaot community is a recipe for conflict and called on the government to ensure there is equity in sharing of resources.

“Because we are peace-loving citizens, we don’t want other communities chased from either Trans Nzoia or Bungoma, instead we want a county we can call home so that we can govern ourselves without interferences,” Chemasuet said.

When the proposal was made late last year, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya opposed it saying that the boundaries of the County are cast on stones and that not even an inch will be hived off to create the said Mt. Elgon County.

Walter Wanyonyi,  the Chairperson of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Kitale branch said before such a proposal is approved, population,  geographical size and other factors are considered.

According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, the Sabaot community which is domiciled on the slopes of Mt. Elgon has a population of over 340,000 people.