Eric Omondi Pushes Referendum to Reduce Kenya’s 47 Counties

NAIROBI, Kenya — Activist and comedian Eric Omondi has intensified his campaign for constitutional changes that would reduce Kenya’s 47 counties to eight, arguing that the current governance structure places an excessive financial burden on taxpayers.

Omondi's latest push comes as he seeks public support for a proposed referendum that would fundamentally restructure Kenya's devolved system of government. He has called for the country to return to the eight regions that existed as provinces before the 2010 Constitution established the current 47-county system.

Omondi targets 47-to-eight county structure

Omondi has said his proposal would replace the existing 47 counties with eight larger regional units, with the objective of reducing what he describes as duplication and the cost of running government.

He has also advocated the abolition of several elective and nominated positions, including senators, women representatives and nominated members of Parliament.

The activist argues that Kenya is over-represented, with multiple layers of national and county leadership serving overlapping functions.

One million signatures targeted

Omondi's campaign is seeking one million signatures to support the proposed constitutional changes. In July, he claimed that more than 430,000 signatures had already been collected and said the campaign needed approximately another 500,000 to reach its target.

He has linked the proposed referendum to the 2027 General Election, saying he wants Kenyans to vote on the proposed changes alongside the election.

However, reaching the signature target would not by itself amend the Constitution. Any proposed constitutional change would still have to follow the procedures provided under Kenya's constitutional framework.

Cost of government at the centre of campaign

Omondi has framed the campaign primarily around the cost of governance.

He argues that reducing the number of political offices and administrative structures could free public resources for essential services, particularly education.

The activist has previously argued that the intention behind devolution was to bring development and services closer to citizens but that the system has instead created additional costs and layers of administration.

Proposal would reshape devolution

Kenya's current system of 47 counties was established under the 2010 Constitution, with county governments becoming operational following the 2013 General Election.

The counties form the foundation of Kenya's devolved system, with county governments responsible for a range of functions including healthcare, agriculture, local infrastructure and other services assigned under the Constitution.

Reducing the number of counties would therefore represent a major constitutional and administrative change, requiring consideration of how county functions, resources, representation and public services would be reorganised.

Debate likely to intensify

Omondi's campaign is expected to generate renewed debate over the effectiveness and cost of devolution, as well as the constitutional importance of county governments.

Supporters of his proposal are likely to focus on reducing government expenditure and eliminating perceived duplication, while critics could question whether fewer counties would improve service delivery or instead reduce local representation and access to devolved services.

For now, Omondi is continuing to mobilise public support around his referendum proposal, with the one-million-signature target forming a key milestone in his campaign.

If the initiative progresses, the debate could become an important part of Kenya's wider political and constitutional discussions ahead of the 2027 elections.