MPs up in arms over delay in funds release

MPs have expressed frustration at the stalling of funding of crucial projects in their areas because of delay in the release of Constituency Development Fund cash.

Yesterday, some MPs said students who depend on bursaries from the fund had not reported to school due to lack of fees.

But National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said the National Treasury would only release money when MPs' project proposals were approved by the CDF Board.

Mr Duale said most MPs had not submitted their proposals to the board, thus prompting Treasury's delay to release Sh25 billion.

Each constituency is allocated Sh86 million.

“I want to ask all MPs to submit their project proposals to the board. A few MPs have submitted documents. The National Treasury can only release the funds after the proposals are approved by the board,” he said.

National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi said the law required that the funds be released quarterly, meaning CDF committees should have received half of the funds for the 2017-18 financial year.

Mr Mbadi said MP's delay in submitting proposals should not be a reason for Treasury to withhold the funds.

“It should disburse the funds so that the board can deal with MPs over their proposals. It is unnecessary bureaucracy to say that the Treasury will only release funds after MPs have submitted their proposals,” he said.

MPs Jared Okello (Nyando), Shakeekel Shabir (Kisumu East), and Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) said most lawmakers had submitted their proposals but had to rewrite them after the allocation was cut from Sh101 million to Sh86 million.