By Daniel Otieno, Kakamega
Kakamega residents have rejected the proposed establishment of the Ward Development Fund (WDF).
The locals during a public participation at Kakamega Social Hall yesterday, they termed the County Ward Allocation, Bill,2024 as a scheme meant to embezzle public funds.
The Bill seeks to create a law for equitable allocation of county resources in Wards to create a fund for economic and social development in a fair and just manner, provide mechanism for identification and prioritization of Ward projects.
The Bill also seeks to provide a guaranteed budget line in the budget cycles for funding of ward based projects.
It calls for participation of the people on determination and implementation of identified projects within the ward.
But Edward Wambani, Chairperson of the Civil Society Organisation Networks, while rejecting the proposed legislation, he said the bill should not be entertained since its intention is meant to embezzle tax payers money.
“There are development projects that are ongoing and need more funding. We cannot divert the same limited resources to the wards in the name of taking development to the grassroots,” said Wambani
He went on: “We have not seen any goodwill from the proposed bill. The bill states, if a sitting governor starts a project and doesn’t finish it, by the time he is leaving office, it forms part of the pending bills and its transferred to the next incoming government,”, adding, “this is a scheme to derail development and we will not accept it,”
He said that currently there are a number of projects that the governor started that are unfinished, saying some of them have turned out to be white elephant projects such as the Kakamega Level (VI) hospital.
The public also expressed their displeasure of being engaged to participate on two bills on the same day.
“According to public participation best practices, one bill should be subjected at ago,” said Paul Odongo, adding, “The bills has violated Schedule Four of the constitution of Kenya. In chapter 9 of the proposed county bill, that talks of infrastructure legal projects, the functions of national and county government have been combined and there is ambiguity in the projects to be implemented thus entrenching budgeted corruption.”
“What is the criteria of distributing resources to the 60 wards in Kakamega? MCAs are not supposed to be allocated ward development fund because it is unconstitutional. Let them play their roles of representation and legislation,” said Odongo.
However, the Assembly Finance Committee chair Boniface Osanga stated that “the bills calls for prudent use of resources with a proper legal framework when projects are being implemented as opposed to the earlier arrangement in the county, where contractors were paid before taking the projects.”
The infrastructure development bill aims to give project financiers and contractors an upper hand to construct projects and get payment after completion, “said Osanga
The Infrastructure and Financing bill, seeks to create a legal framework to establish a charge on the County Revenue Fund, for payment of Investors and/or financiers of infrastructure, finance infrastructure programs and projects such as transport, water and sanitation, power and energy, climate resilience, health other sectors.
It also proposes the establishment of the county management committee to oversee the implementation of the projects specified under the Bill.
“We have agreed with your views on Ward fund projects. This is long overdue. Our next action is to compile a report based on your views and table it in the House for deliberations subsequently approving the two bills.” David Ikunza, the Shirere ward rep assured
The two bill are sponsored by the County Executive.
The leader of majority Phillip Maina who was present challenged citizens to be at the forefront in championing forward based projects saying this was the smallest units of devolution that are critical in transforming livelihoods.
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