Nyanza legislators protest continued delay in CDF disbursement
By Kepher Otieno, January 10, 2024Some Members of Parliament, (MPs), are up in arms claiming that the government has not even sent a single cent to the 290 constituencies since last July, even as parents demand for bursaries.
The lawmakers claim that parents are knocking on their offices daily asking for bursaries and scholarships, but they have no money to disburse as yet.
The MPs are Rosa Buyu (Kisumu West), Joshua Oron (Kisumu Central), Jared Okello, (Nyando), James Nyikal, (Seme), Tom Odege, (Nyatike).
Others are Walter Owino (Awendo), Peter Masara (Suna West), Onyango K’oyoo (Muhoroni), who expressed fears many needy students may be stranded.
The fund is disbursed every quarter, and by now most of the constituencies should have received the third tranche of the money. But not yet released.
Some of the MPs claimed that they have already issued bursary forms to their constituents but have no money
Buyu and Oron said they are demanding the release of over Sh53.3 billion NG-CDF cash still held by the National Treasury.
“We are not digging into our pockets to provide bursaries,’’ said Oron.
Same applied to Buyu, Owino and Nyikal, who asked the state to release NGCDF funds now.
By law, all constituencies are entitled to about 2.5 percent of total national revenue supposed to be shared among all the constituencies proportionately.
Last month, President William Ruto and the National Treasury assured MPs that the fund would be disbursed before schools reopen today.
“I want to assure members that there are funds for our children to go to school. That is not negotiable. We will stop other things,” the President last year.
Yesterday, the MPs who spoke to us decried the delay as disturbing, since many students who had applied for the bursary and scholarships were asking for the cash.