Mps to sabotage state agenda over CDF cash delays

Members of the National Assembly have threatened to paralyse House proceedings over the delayed release of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) billions.

Speaker Justin Muturi convened the special sitting to take a vote on the annual division of Revenue Bill, 2021, after it was deferred twice last Thursday when MPs gave both the afternoon and evening sittings a wide berth.

The meeting was also to approve  a report of  the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC).

However, the Mps vowed to confute all motions listed for tomorrow’s special sitting if the National Treasury fails to disburse the funds by this evening.

“Untill the CDF issue is fully addressed, the government should not even attempt to table supplementary budget and the Bills because we will shoot all of them down,” said Nelson Koech, Belgut Mp.

Legislator Simba Arati, Mp Dagoretti North said that members want the CDF money made available as allocated in this financial year’s budget.

“Nothing short of this will make us change our mind,” he added.

Members of the BAC spent the better part of yesterday trying to grind out a deal with National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani by pushing for a Sh13.5 billion allocation in the supplementary budget to clear NG-CDF arrears for the last financial year.

The MPs are set to consider the approval of the first supplementary estimates for the financial year 2020/2021 as well as to debate the controversial National Aviation Management Bill set for second reading that seeks to nationalise the troubled national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ).

It has emerged that the 290 constituencies have received an average of Sh20 million out of the Sh137 million for this financial year.

Minority Whip Junet Mohamed said it was the first time the Treasury had failed to release the funds three months to the end of the financial year.

“I do not know why the Cabinet Secretary of the National Treasury cannot explain to the NG-CDF Committee, the Budget and Appropriations Committee and even to this House what is causing this delay,” he said.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa accused Majority Leader Amos Kimunya of threatening MPs to pass the Division of Revenue Bill on Thursday, saying NG-CDF was not a favour.

“When we ask for the NG-CDF, we do not ask for a favour from Ukur Yatani or anybody else; not even from the President of the Republic of Kenya. The NG-CDF Act is a law that was made by this House. The money does not go into members’ pockets; it goes to development activities in the constituencies of the people we represent. That is why you see the emotions are quite high,” said Ichung’wa.

He said members were concerned on why the Treasury was hell-bent on pushing them to approve allocation for counties, but was not keen on disbursing CDF money.

Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi said the Treasury was to blame for the stalemate in the House, saying a vote on the Bill was tied to Treasury releasing the funds.

“The matter of CDF is of concern to the MPs. It is a very emotive issue that has to be handled well otherwise the Executive will be embarrassed,” he said.

Nyando MP Jared Okello said development projects have stalled due to the delayed disbursement of the funds.

“We have contractors who are demanding payments. We cannot pay for children who depend on CDF for school fees. We see Executive programmes running as usual yet this important aspect is lagging behind,” said Okello