It was created following complaints by a section of residents of Mumias that they felt unrepresented due to the large size of the constituency.
It was first represented in Parliament in 1998 by Joseph Wamukoya on a Kenya African National Union (KANU) ticket.
Historically Matungu is the burial grounds of the Nabongo's (Kings) of the Wanga Kingdom.
Today it is mainly a sugarcane growing area and many of its residents are farmers who supply the Mumias Sugar Company with its raw material.
The wanga are the most influential in the area of Matungu, which emerged as a famous clan during the colonial days when their king, Nabongo Mumia collaborated with the British in pre-independence Kenya.