NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 21 – Some 21 constituencies will lose millions in allocations from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) in the new cash distribution formula for the Sh44 billion allocated in the kitty for the financial year 2022/2023.
While presenting his submission during the weeklong induction for legislators, NG-CDF board chief executive Yusuf Mbuno mentioned the CDF kitty have not been affected by the Supreme Court ruling terming it unconstitutional.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) told MPs that they will henceforth implement the amendments in the National Government Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which will see the 290 constituencies equally share 75 percent of the annual allocation, with the remaining 25 percent distributed based on the number of wards in each constituency.
In the 290 constituencies there are 1,450 wards in the country based on the delimitation of electoral areas by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
21 out of the 290 constituencies have only three wards which reduces their allocation in sharing the 25 percent of the total annual allocation of the NG-CDF fund.
“Constituencies with 3 wards which is the minimum number of wards will be greatly affected by the formula as they will be getting Sh131M yet initially it was equal,” said Sirisia MP John Walukhe.
“It’s not fair but according to the law passed in Parliament in June and they have decided to use the formula away from the previous one which was equal amount,” he added.
The maximum number of wards in the delimitation done by the poll body is 8 who will reap heavily from the current distribution formula of the NGCDF kitty as they will receive an allocation of Sh165M away from the previous Sh137 million.
The amendments to the NG-CDF Act, 2015 were done to cure the issue of unconstitutionality of the act which risked scrapping of the NGCDF kitty.
The formula considers that constituencies vary in terms of needs and levels of poverty.
“It’s unfortunate that some constituencies which are smaller will get less which is fair because its all about the number of people you will be serving based on the population this will solve issues such as urban poverty,” stated Kamkunji MP Yussuf Hassan.
According to a schedule on the distribution of the Sh41 billion under the new sharing formula,Baringo Central, Embakasi,Bomachoge Chache and Gichugu, Githunguri, Gigil, and Webuye East will receive the highest amount of cash.
Constituencies that have seen their allocation slashed include Tiaty,Mwingi North, Jomvu,and Laisamis.
NG-CDF kitty is meant for community development projects under the functions of the national government.
This includes schools and security-related projects such as infrastructure needs as well as well as education bursaries.
The CDF has been popular with MPs as they use taxpayer funds to initiate development projects which ultimately woo them to voters during their five-term tenure and campaigns.
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