MPs approve rules to govern Uwezo Fund

Youths will soon be able to borrow loans from the Sh6 billion Uwezo Fund after the National Assembly Tuesday approved rules on how the money would be managed.

The only hurdle now remains the official publication of the regulations.

Before the regulations were approved, members agreed that each constituency would get at least Sh19 million.

ODM MPs James Nyikal (Seme) and Millie Odhiambo (Mbita) were ordered to leave the chambers after Dr Nyikal said the fund was “the only good thing from the last election where Jubilee rigged to win the presidency in the first round.”

Ms Odhiambo will also face the Powers and Privileges Committee for heckling Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso after Dr Nyikal was ejected from the House.

Before the exchange, Majority Leader Aden Duale had said that the amendments made earlier by the Senate did not change the spirit of the fund’s regulations.

“Between the membership of the two Houses, those who need these regulations most are the members of the National Assembly. These funds will be administered at the constituency level. The women and youths will access these funds at the constituency level, not the Senate or county level,” said Mr Duale.

He said members of the National Assembly had “more roles” in the management of the Uwezo Fund.

“Our people have waited for these for too long,” he said.

Delegated Legislation Committee chairman William Cheptumo said the rules would retain the distribution of the fund at the constituency level.

He said after the regulations were passed, the Planning Ministry would name the National Oversight Board for the fund, while MPs would set up constituency Uwezo Fund committees, which would identify the beneficiaries and distribute the loans.

But he cautioned that too many bodies would eventually cause delays in the disbursement of the funds.

“If we pass these regulations, we’ll be having at least Sh19 million to our constituencies. We need that money to begin to help our youth  and our women so that they participate in the development of our country,” he said.

Ms Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay County, ODM) said the funds should be released as soon as possible and before the end of the current financial year.

She said she would have wanted officials of the Youth and Women Enterprise funds included so that groups that default on payments in other funds do not find their way to Uwezo.

Jubilee leaders had promised during their campaigns that they would set up the fund with the money that would have been used to pay for a run-off presidential election. They used the pledge to rally the youth to vote in large numbers to avoid a second round.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared Mr Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate, Mr William Ruto, the winners of the election, having garnered more than the 50 per cent plus one vote needed to avoid a run-off.

Cord challenged the results of the election at the Supreme Court but the six judges upheld the election results in a unanimous decision.