By Nelson Musungu, Bungoma
Kanduyi MP John Makali has warned that scrapping the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) would severely undermine grassroots development across the country.
Speaking to the press, Makali said the recent High Court ruling declaring the fund unconstitutional came at a critical time, forcing Parliament to appeal the decision. He emphasized that NG-CDF has played a crucial role in bringing services closer to the people through its devolved structure.
“Those who went to court argue that NG-CDF duplicates county government functions. That’s not how it works,” said Makali. “In education, for instance, we only provide bursaries to high school, university, and technical school students. We also construct classrooms, security offices, and respond to emergencies. Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE), however, remains a county mandate.”
Makali noted that during public participation forums at the constituency level, 98% of residents supported the idea of anchoring the CDF in the Constitution, indicating strong public support for its continued existence.
Following public input, the National Assembly drafted an amendment bill covering the NG-CDF, National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), and the Oversight Fund. The bill was overwhelmingly passed by 298 MPs and now awaits debate and voting in the Senate.
“If the Senate fails to pass the amendment bill with a two-thirds majority, Parliament will have two options: await the Court of Appeal’s decision and potentially escalate to the Supreme Court, or pursue a constitutional amendment through a referendum,” Makali explained.
He dismissed claims that MPs control the CDF, clarifying that their role is limited to oversight. The actual implementation of projects is managed by constituency development committees and fund boards.
Makali also warned that scrapping the fund would not transfer its resources to county governments but would revert them to the national government, slowing service delivery and undermining equal development across constituencies.
“This fund was designed to equalize development, regardless of voting patterns,” he said, urging senators to put the public’s interests first as they deliberate the bill.
