Silverio OmariSuna West MP Peter Masara has criticized leaders proposing the removal of constituency kitties, emphasizing the significant development brought by the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
Masara argued that the NG-CDF should not be scrapped, as it benefits a majority of Kenyans, particularly in rural areas where government funds often do not reach.
“The board and the fund have the interests of Kenyans at heart, especially in rural areas, since the kitty has opened up far-flung areas where government funds never reach,” Masara said.
Since its inception in 2003, the CDF has outperformed devolved funds introduced with county governments in 2013.
“If you walk in every corner of the country, you can easily find projects started by the kitties, even when health and roads were moved to county governments,” he said.
Masara stressed that the push to abolish the fund does not serve the citizens’ interests.
He made these remarks at St Peter’s Maweni Girls Secondary School in Wasimbete, a new institution established with the fund. The school, located near the Kenya-Tanzania border, is the only all-girls’ secondary school in the area, which previously had none since independence. Learners unwilling to attend a mixed secondary school had to travel over 25 kilometers.
“We have started the school and already we have opened a road to the institution, and plans for bringing electricity are underway. This could not happen without the kitty,” the MP said.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairman in Suna West, Jackton Owuor, who is the principal of St Peter’s Abwao School, noted that the fund has significantly improved infrastructure in learning institutions.
The fund has been used to start and support 29 primary and secondary schools in the constituency since 2017, providing a lifeline to institutions after years of neglect.
In contrast, nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda proposed the abolition of the NG-CDF as an austerity measure to reduce government expenditure. Mutinda argued that this move would streamline government functions and address the country’s debt issues, suggesting that the kitty and county governments are duplicating development functions.
Redirecting the funds allocated to NG-CDF towards debt repayment would be a prudent financial move, the senator said. She added that both levels of government can perform NG-CDF work without the associated corruption and complexities.
