Members of Parliament have launched a spirited campaign to retain control of the influential National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), amid growing calls for them to relinquish their grip on the kitty.
MPs have taken to public forums and television stations to sway public perception about the fund to explain why the CDF should not be abolished.
They are also emphasising that they do not directly control the fund, arguing that a fund manager manages it under the oversight of the NG-CDF committees.
On April 24, Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi denied claims that MPs fully control the CDF, asserting that lawmakers serve only as patrons.
“The fund manager, according to the Act, is the one responsible for the NG-CDF. There is a fund manager in every constituency who manages the fund. MPs are just the patrons; we don't manage the fund,” Wamumbi said in an interview with K24 TV.
“If there
is misappropriation, then the law should take its course.”
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera also defended the CDF and the Roads Maintenance Fund, arguing that some functions remain the responsibility of the national government and cannot be handled through devolution.
“Devolution cannot build primary schools and also cannot support tertiary education,” he said during the same interview.
However, political analyst Mburu Machua argued that the CDF was more relevant before the enactment of the 2010 Constitution.
“But today,
MPs want to do the work of the Executive while also providing oversight. If MPs
are so eager to control public funds, then they should run for Governor,”
Machua said.
Speaking on Kameme TV, Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara said Kenyans have witnessed the efficiency of the CDF in delivering grassroots development.
"The citizens want development, and if you travel across the country, you’ll see that many of the implemented projects are from the NG-CDF. I know some are envious and claim that Members of Parliament only misuse the funds,” she said.
“But the citizens know the work that we, as MPs, have been doing on the ground.”
As MPs intensify efforts to shape public opinion, they have also launched a public participation campaign to entrench the CDF in the Constitution.
The initiative, aimed at sealing legal loopholes and preserving MPs’ grassroots influence, is scheduled to run from May 5 to 7 across all 290 constituencies and the offices of all 47 Women Representatives.
The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill, 2025, seeks to secure the legal standing of the NG-CDF, the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), and the Senate Oversight Fund.
The Bill is co-sponsored by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo and Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has renewed calls for the disbandment of the CDF, signalling an impending political showdown over the multibillion-shilling fund.
“The courts declared the CDF unconstitutional, but MPs have clung to it. They must stop it. This is something I will be speaking about very strongly. If MPs don’t abolish this thing, it will become an election agenda,” Raila said on April 18.
Critics argue that the fund has become a breeding ground for corruption, with some MPs allegedly becoming overnight millionaires.
Despite this, in Parliament, ODM MPs have broken ranks with Raila and joined colleagues across the aisle in a united front to defend the fund, which they claim has brought tangible development across the country.
Speaking on the floor of the House on April 17, Azimio MPs led by Minority Leader and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, strongly supported the fund.
“This NG-CDF has a lot of enemies for no apparent reason. Many people are fighting the CDF, I believe, because they don’t have the correct information,” said Junet, a close ally of Raila.
