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National Treasury has disbursed Sh47 billion to the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) to be used in 290 constituencies for development activities.

NG-CDF Chief Executive Officer Yusuf Mbuno while confirming the release said that the Treasury has added the national kitty an addition of Sh10 billion in the current 2023/2024 financial year.
Mbuno said the constituencies will get more funds from previous financial years following the enhanced allocation from the National Government constituency development fund through the national government.

Mbuno, who spoke in Nandi County on Wednesday, told MPs to play their oversight role by ensuring the money disbursed for various projects at their respective constituency is utilised for the intended purpose.
NG-CDF committee chairman Musa Sirma said the highest allocation in the current disbursement will be Sh162 million which will go to constituencies with eight wards.

Constituencies with two wards will receive the least allocation of Sh 139 million.

Sirma also revealed that the NG-CDF will receive a further Sh10 billion in the current financial year from which constituencies will receive between Sh30 to Sh35 million more.

“Treasury has now released all the monies owed to the NG-CDF. This money will go towards supporting projects which have been approved only,” Sirma told People Daily.

He warned that projects which have not been approved or are devolved will not be funded.
“The fund supports one-off projects and not for maintenance, this must be made clear to all MPs,” Sirma cautioned.

He said that each of the 290 constituencies had already received Sh 57 million for bursaries.
Mbuno implored the lawmakers to stop the trend of abandoning projects started by their predecessors upon assuming office using funds from the constituency development fund kitty.

Speaking at Sikisiket secondary school in Chesumei constituency, Mbuno warned that no funds from the NG-CDF should be allocated for new projects until all the stalled ones are completed for the benefit of the citizens.

The CEO asked members of the parliament as custodians of the kitty, to ensure that enough money from CDF is set aside for the completion of old projects before embarking on new ones to avoid wastage of public resources.

He told new MPs to ensure they speed up the completion of school, water and road projects that were initiated by their predecessors instead of overlooking them in favour of new ones started by them.
He was in Nandi County for the re-launch of the completion of the public institution’s tuition block of three classrooms that have stalled.

He said that the construction of the classrooms at the school which will cost Sh4 million will be completed in the next three months under the NG-CDF corporate social responsibility.

The classroom projects at the school stalled two years ago during the tenure of former area MP Wilson Kogo who was floored by the current lawmaker in the last general election.

Mbuno was accompanied by among others MP Paul Biego and NG-CDF board of directors Karen Rono and George ole Mashuko.

“We will be very firm in our mission of monitoring and evaluation of all projects funded under the NG_cdf across the country to ensure the beneficiaries get value for the money they pay as taxes to the government,” said Mbuno

He asked the management committees of the constituency development fund across the 290 constituencies to ensure proper utilisation and management of the CDF cash.

“The NG-CDF will monitor closely how the money is utilised and accounted for at the constituency level to check rampant cases of misappropriation of the same” said Mbuno.

In January this year, MPs stormed out of the Parliamentary Committee members retreat in Mombasa over the delayed disbursement of the NG-CDF and the national government affirmative action fund NGAAF kitties which were yet to be released by the national treasury.

The lawmakers had also threatened to stall all government business in parliament until after the treasury made the disbursements in full.

The irate members in protest walked out saying it was unreasonable to hold a five days’ retreat at a five-star luxurious hotel, pay millions for accommodation at the expense of orphans and needy leaders who depended on NG-CDF to go to school.
The members claimed the treasury was yet to release Sh10 billion that was to be disbursed in bits thus affecting key functions that depend on both kitties.