MPs put CDF team to task over Sh25bn funds delay

Garissa Town MP and Nation Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale (left) and Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Committee chairman Moses Lessonet confer at an MPs' forum to discuss CDF matters at Safari Park on April 24, 2015. Mr Lessonet promised on September 20, 2016 to push the CDF Board to produce a list of financial allocations to constituencies. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The special sitting was convened after the lawmakers were asked to break their month-long recess, only for Mr Lessonet to tell them that the list was not ready.
  • The High Court set the CDF limit at Sh25 billion this financial year until a case challenging the new law on the fund is heard and determined.

MPs have rebuked the Constituency Development Fund Committee for delaying to release Sh25 billion meant for various projects.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale on Tuesday led members in expressing their discontent.

He said the special sitting was convened so that members could appraise the list and either approve or revise it.

They further said the committee, chaired by Eldama-Ravine MP Moses Lessonet, was taking too long to table for debate and passage in the House the list of financial allocations to each constituency in the 2016/17 financial year.

“It is important to table the list of ceilings of money to the constituencies so that members can start preparing their projects. This is what is important to us. This is one of the reasons ... we recalled members,” said Mr Duale.

The special sitting was convened after the lawmakers were asked to break their month-long recess, only for Mr Lessonet to tell them that the list was not ready.

The High Court set the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) limit at Sh25 billion this financial year until a case challenging the new law on the fund is heard and determined.

Following the development, the CDF Board, chaired by former Maragua MP Elias Mbau, was expected to develop a list showing the amount of money each of the 290 constituencies would get from the overall figure.

“It is unfortunate that almost three months into the new financial year we are still begging the CDF Board to release the money. We have not been able to deliver projects that were already budgeted for because of this delay,” said Butula MP Michael Onyura.

Mr Lessonet promised members to push the board to produce the list this afternoon.

“I promise to bring the list this (Tuesday) afternoon so that constituencies can give us the projects they want to be financed this financial year,” he told the House.

The MPs will also look at Kenya’s proposed Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union with a view to ratifying it so that the country can press on with its planned trade deal with the bloc.

Edited by Philip Momanyi