Homa Town MP Peter Kaluma has waged a war with senators over a proposal to scrap the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF).
He claimed that senators have been lied to by the State to demand the abolition of NG-CDF.
In his statement to journalists, the MP said senators are headed in the wrong direction by pushing for the scrapping of the fund.
NG-CDF was first created in 2003 in the regime of former President Mwai Kibaki. One of its mandates is to improve school infrastructure and support education of the vulnerable persons.
Kaluma argued that the kitty has helped schools in areas which were ignored by previous regimes like the Nyanza region.
Leaders had accused the government through the Ministry of Education of doing little to support and facelift schools in such regions.
Kaluma claimed that Parliament has been allocating billions of shillings to the Ministry of Education for school infrastructure each year but no value for the funds.
The MP said schools in Homa Bay have been much affected as they have had poor infrastructure since independence.
“NG-CDF kitty is irreplaceable due to its significance. It is a fallacy for anyone to think that the State can only discharge its functions at the grassroots by sending funds to counties,” Kaluma said.
On Monday, Kaluma said there are some Education CSs and PSs who are known to divert the monies to their regions, excluding others and stealing the funds.
He told senators to stop being jealous of members of the National Assembly. He argued that the NG-CDF Act had been amended to completely remove MPs from the implementation structures of the Fund.
“MPs are no longer members of NG-CDF Committees, patrons or members of Constituency Oversight Committees (COC).
A COC has been deleted from the Act and no longer exists. NG-CDF is currently operated by the Executive through the NG-CDF Board in Nairobi with the participation of the people at the grassroots,” he said.
He told those who fight the NG-CDF to first push the government to make education free.
Kaluma said both Kenya Kwanza and Azimio promised free education during campaigns and it is therefore important for the government to implement the pledges.
“Let those fighting NG-CDF create accountable and equitable systems through which all our schools will be built across Kenya, as has been done by the NG-CDF,” he added.
He criticised senators for demanding an oversight fund, adding that MPs and Senators are paid good salaries to perform their roles, including oversight.
“Senators will not stop from demanding Legislation Fund and ‘Representation Fund if they are given oversight fund,” he said.