Constituency funds: Sports ministers top list of poor managers

By Peter Opiyo

Sports Minister Paul Otuoma’s constituency and that of his assistant, Kabando wa Kabando, are some of the electoral units that have continued to misuse Constituency Development Fund monies.

According to a report launched by a lobby group, Otuoma’s Funyula constituency and Kabando’s Mukurweini did not record any improvement in the management of the funds, in the ten constituencies surveyed. Instead, the levels of mismanagement continued to rise.

Other constituencies that recorded increased misuse of CDF cash, according to National Taxpayers Association, are Kisauni and Kisumu Town East. Mr Hassan Joho is the MP for Kisauni while Mr Shakeel Shabir represents Kisumu Town East.

In a follow-up audit of the 2006/2007 financial year, NTA found out that the level of mismanagement of CDF increased by 26 per cent in Funyula in the funds allocated between 2008 and 2011. The constituency had Sh34.7 million misused or unaccounted for in 2008/2009 financial year while in 2006/2007 Sh20.7 million was wasted.

Mukurweini is the second worst performer recording a 23 per cent rise in mismanagement of the funds. It misused Sh16.1 million in 2008/2009 financial year while Kisauni recorded a 20 per cent rise and Kisumu Town East recorded a 18 per cent rise.

Other mismanagers

Kisauni had Sh5.8 million unspent in 2008/2009 financial year while Kisumu Town East misused Sh9.2 million, according to the report.

NTA’s Chairman, Mr Peter Kubebea said the follow-up survey was conducted to determine whether there was improvement in the usage of the CDF money, but noted that little has improved.

"Very few constituencies are making marked improvement in the management of CDF. Capacities of Constituency Management Committees should be enhanced to ensure better management of CDF," said Kubebea.

Good managers

In the survey, Sports Assistant minister Wavinya Ndeti’s constituency recorded marked improvement by cutting the misuse of funds by 23 per cent while Likoni cut the misuse of funds by 12 per cent.

Others that reduced the mismanagement of the fund are Dujis and Eldoret South by 11 per cent, Eldoret East by nine per cent and Dagoretti by two per cent.