By: Senator Ali Roba
The recent ruling by the Garissa Court on the 2019 census results has unequivocally exposed the blatant abuse of the national census process, orchestrated at the highest levels of government, particularly from State House.
This was not an oversight—it was a deliberate and systematic scheme sanctioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta himself—to suppress the population numbers of Northern Kenya.
The ultimate goal was clear: to deny the region its rightful share of national revenue by manipulating census figures to serve political and economic interests.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) was at the core of this fraudulent exercise, executing directives from State House to distort demographic data and perpetuate historical injustices against Northern Kenya.
This was an outright betrayal of the constitutional principles of fairness, equity, and justice. The people of Northern Kenya have suffered immense deprivation due to this calculated suppression, which directly impacted resource allocation, development funding, and essential services.
Given the gravity of this orchestrated injustice, President William Ruto must act decisively. It is imperative that he establishes a Commission of Inquiry to fully investigate the abuse of the 2019 census process, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that justice is served.
The findings of such an inquiry must lead to corrective action, including the proper allocation of resources based on actual population figures.
For decades, the people of Northern Kenya have borne the brunt of systemic marginalization, dating back to the government’s Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1964, which institutionalized economic discrimination against this region.
Uhuru Kenyatta, unable to accept that marginalized communities were finally receiving some measure of justice, sought to reverse these gains through manipulation and deceit.
His actions echo that of the present-day mindset of the likes of Rigathi Gachagua, advocating for a continuation of the same oppressive mindset that has plagued Northern Kenya since independence.
This injustice cannot and will not be ignored. The time for reckoning is now. The people of Northern Kenya demand and deserve their fair share of national resources, and the truth about the 2019 census manipulation must be fully exposed.
President Ruto has a duty to uphold justice and correct this historical wrong. The people are watching, and they will not relent until justice is served.
Ali Roba is the current senator of Mandera and the party leader of United Democratic Movement (UDM)
