Sh380m CDF cash misused, says report

More than Sh380 million channelled through the Constituency Development Fund and the Local Authority Transfer Fund during the 2009/2010 financial year was misused.

The National Taxpayers Association made this revelation in its latest report on 38 constituencies in which Planning assistant minister Peter Kenneth’s Gatanga topped on efficient use of CDF money.

The report, launched in Nairobi on Monday, said 16 per cent of the total Sh2.3 billion CDF cash was badly used, wasted or unaccounted for.  

Gatanga constituency, which was allocated Sh107 million, had no case of badly used funds.

It hand no funds set aside for non-existing projects, neither did it have unaccounted for money in its account as was the case in other constituencies. 

The report says that the constituency, which had been praised in the past for notable development projects, had used Sh98 million for both complete and ongoing work. There was, however, silence on the balance.

Wundayi constituency ranked number two after it also recorded a blank card on misused funds.

Out of the allocated Sh59.4 million, the constituency used adequately Sh52.4 million for purposeful projects.

“We allowed constituents to choose for themselves the CDF committee. All interests have been represented, that is why we have such a good performance,” said Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu when he received the report. 

Taveta, Kajiado Central and Kajiado South constituencies were third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Kitui Central, Naivasha, Kibwezi, Malava and Marakwet East constituencies were the five worst performing in descending order.

Marakwet East, for instance, was the worst performing with approximately 50 per cent of the given CDF cash misappropriated.

The constituency, represented in Parliament by Cooperative assistant minister Linah Kilimo, had glaring financial wastages as it only used appropriately Sh15 million of the allocated Sh31 million.