Poll: Kenyans want counties to run CDF
What you need to know:
- Of those polled, 41 per cent said they would like CDF management handed over to the devolved county units, as compared with the 38 per cent who said they would prefer that members of Parliament to keep control of the funds.
- The fate of the CDF has been in question ever since the High Court ruled on February 20 this year that it is unconstitutional for the kitty to exist at all, as its functions were assumed by county governments.
Potent instrument - The CDF is controlled by committees in each county, with the MP as the patron. As such, all decisions regarding the disbursement of the funds must be approved by the MP.
Many Kenyans would want the management of Constituency Development Funds (CDF) surrendered to county governments, a new Ipsos study has found.
Of those polled, 41 per cent said they would like CDF management handed over to the devolved county units, as compared with the 38 per cent who said they would prefer that members of Parliament to keep control of the funds.
The fate of the CDF has been in question ever since the High Court ruled on February 20 this year that it is unconstitutional for the kitty to exist at all, as its functions were assumed by county governments.
Potent instrument
Many MPs have since rubbished the court ruling, reluctant to give up control of one of the most potent instruments of power available to them.
As recently as yesterday, some MPs filed an application in the Court of Appeal, challenging the ruling and seeking to restore the legitimacy of the fund.
The CDF is controlled by committees in each county, with the MP as the patron. As such, all decisions regarding the disbursement of the funds must be approved by the MP.
The High Court ruling remains suspended for 12 months to give the government time to change the law and determine where to reallocate the funds.
CDF allocation was increased in the 2014/2015 fiscal year to Sh31.5 billion from the Sh22 billion given the previous year.
The poll found that CDF generally enjoys overwhelming support, with 85 per cent of those polled saying they think it is necessary for development at the local level.
POLITICAL DIVIDE
The Ipsos study also found that devolution as a whole has been gaining support from Kenyans across the political divide.
The latest findings on devolution by the firm show that 78 per cent of Kenyans are in overall support of devolution, a significant increase from the 69 per cent who expressed support of the new governance module last year.
The fieldwork for this survey was conducted between March 28 and April 7, 2015, and a total of 1964 respondents aged above 18 years were polled.
