NG-CDF is going nowhere, Wetangula tells critics

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula during the official launch of newly constructed NGCDF classrooms in Bungoma. [Juliet Omelo, Standard] National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula has defended MPs' clamour to anchor the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) in law, condemning the push to abolish the fund. Wetang'ula said the NG-CDF remains one of the most impactful tools for grassroots and national development, touching on education and transforming communities. "NG-CDF has been a game-changer. When I first entered Parliament, it did not exist, but since its introduction, it has funded projects that have significantly changed the lives of our people. Even after I retired as a Member of Parliament, it remained in place, and it is still here today," Wetang'ula said on Friday. He spoke during the launch of a newly constructed tuition block, featuring 12 classrooms, at St Veronica Ranje RC Comprehensive School in Kanduyi Constituency, Bungoma County. He noted that while courts had at one point declared the fund unconstitutional, Parliament amended the law to firmly anchor it within the Constitution. The amendment, he said, was later upheld by the Court of Appeal and was "a victory for grassroots development." The Bill, sponsored by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo and his Ainabkoi counterpart Samuel Chepkonga, seeks to introduce three funds into the Constitution through the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025. In addition to the NG-CDF, it seeks to entrench the Senate Oversight Fund and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund in law.In April, the Bill went through countrywide public participation and was later passed by the National Assembly. It is now in the Senate awaiting concurrence before it is submitted to the President for assent. "Prudent use of public funds is best demonstrated through NG-CDF projects.'' Across the country, if you walk into any village, the most visible projects, be they classrooms, laboratories, or health facilities, have been funded through NG-CDF," he said.Various stakeholders have pushed for abolition of the CDF kitty with various proposals pushing for the funds to be diverted to partly fund the free primary and day secondary education. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi while appearing before the National Assembly on Education asked MPs to give up a portion of the kitty that supports bursary allocation to the national government to complement funds provided for capitation. However, MPs present at the committee opposed the proposal. "You will misappropriate the funds the same way you have done with the school capitation," Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo said in light of an audit report that revealed the Ministry of Education disbursed funds to ghost schools. On Friday, Wetangula said that the bill is on course to become a law. "When we took a Bill to entrench NG-CDF in the Constitution, it received 90 per cent approval in Parliament. This is because Kenyans everywhere recognize its impact and value," he said. Kanduyi MP John Makali, who hosted the event, praised NG-CDF as the most visible form of grassroots development compared to projects initiated by county governments. "Unlike many county projects, NG-CDF investments are evident across the country - from classrooms and laboratories to health facilities. It is a model of development that people can see and appreciate," Makali said. Webuye East MP Martin Pepela echoed the sentiments, commending the fund's role in equipping schools and improving learning conditions. He criticized proposals to scrap NG-CDF or transfer it to county governments. "We support NG-CDF, and to those suggesting it should be reverted to counties, I say, call for a referendum and ask Kenyans if they want it scrapped. The answer will be clear," Pepela noted. He added that the fund has been instrumental in creating environments where teachers can effectively impart knowledge, making it indispensable for community development.

NG-CDF is going nowhere, Wetangula tells critics

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NG-CDF is going nowhere, Wetangula tells critics

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