'Negative' court rule on CDF to affect poor families

Garissa Town MP Aden Duale (left) converses with Constituency Development Fund Chairman Moses Lessonet during a forum at Safari Park on April 24, 2015. The hearing of a case challenging the legality of the National Government Constituency Development Fund Act has been pushed to June 30, 2016. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The court said on Monday after a hearing a case challenging the legality of the National Government Constituency Development Fund Act.

The High Court will on Thursday rule on whether to issue an order halting the new law on Constituency Development Fund, a verdict which may affect disbursement of Sh33 billion.

The court said on Monday after a hearing a case challenging the legality of the National Government Constituency Development Fund Act.

Ms Wanjiru Gikonyo and Mr Cornelius Opuot have sued the National Assembly, the Senate, the attorney-general and the NGCDF board. The Council of Governors is listed as an interested party.

According to the council, which supports the case, the allocation of Sh33,452,350,000 could be appropriately done if the law that guided it was properly formulated.

However, lawyers representing the sued parties strongly opposed the issuance of orders challenging the new CDF law or the disbursement, saying many children from poor families would be denied a right to education.

They also argued that projects in rural areas would stall because a number of them were financed by the CDF.