Constituency Development Fund works stall over Sh7b debt

Select Committee on the NG-CDF chair Maoka Maore (Centre) at a past press briefing. He wants funds released in three installments. [File, Standard]

Projects have stalled in 261 constituencies that are collectively owed Sh7.6 billion in constituency development funds arrears.

The National Assembly now wants Sh7.6 billion for the National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) released to the regions in three installments to complete the projects.

This is because there were projects that had been started by NG-CDF before devolution and could not be reverted to counties because they had also not been budgeted for under counties' development projects.

The NG-CDF Board commissioned auditors to go round the country and find out which projects had stalled to address the problem.

Last week, the Select Committee on the NG-CDF gave a report on the status of disbursement of funds by the board during the financial year 2018/2019 and the state of incomplete projects in constituencies.

Committee’s chair Maoka Maore (Igembe North) said the outstanding funds required for the completion of the projects countrywide was Sh7,607,081,881.

“After deliberation on the matter, the committee resolved to allocate funds to those stalled projects but to spread the allocation within a period of three years of the remaining term of the 12th Parliament,” said Mr Maore.

But MPs Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), George Aladwa (Makadara) and Otiende Amollo (Rarieda) called for speedy disbursement of the funds, saying spreading them for three years would not be tenable.

“I oppose the spread of the funds for stalled projects for three years. My current term ends in 2022 and I am skeptical that this money will have been released by then. We want to use this money for the projects that had been planned,” said Mr Aladwa.

According to the NG-CDF report on the state of incomplete projects, Taveta constituency has the highest unpaid balance of Sh238 million, followed by Makadara Sh165 million, Sabatia at Sh148 million, South Imenti Sh140 million and Voi Sh116.6 million.

Others are Mbooni's Sh116.5 million, Mogotio's Sh116.1 million, Rarieda's Sh109 million, Suba North at Sh99 million, Nandi Hills at Sh92 million and Luanda at Sh91 million.

Maore explained that Sh7.6 billion was the total figure owed for all ongoing NG-CDF projects in the 290 constituencies over the years but had since stalled.