Nairobi — A section of lawmakers have threatened to impeach Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndungu unless the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) is disbursed within seven days.
Members of Parliament from both the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio La Umoja coalition have expressed frustration over the delay in the release of NG-CDF funds which is hampering the implementation of development projects.
In the third quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year, the legislators said they expected the National Treasury to disburse Sh46 billion.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, speaking on behalf of the legislators, accused CS Ndung'u of making false statements regarding the release of NG-CDF funds, leading citizens to believe that MPs are withholding the funds.
"We demand that the entire allocation of CDF must be released within seven days, as agreed. If that is not done, we will call for a special sitting of the house and draft appropriate motions against the CS treasury and the CDF board or any such other entity," he warned.
Ndung'u had earlier communicated with Speaker Moses Wetangula, assuring him that the NG-CDF funds would be fully released by December 20th, 2023. However, the MPs say that this commitment had not been honoured two weeks later.
The lawmakers criticized a government memo dated January 4, 2023, directed to CDF account managers nationwide, explaining that the funds could not be released due to amendments to the CDF Act.
According to Amollo, this memo is misguided, unlawful, and improper, as the amendments to the CDF Act were passed in December and are applicable in the next financial year.
Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo emphasized the urgency of releasing the funds, especially for bursaries, as children are returning to school. She expressed concern that the delays were jeopardizing the education of children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga questioned why the Treasury Cabinet Secretary had committed to releasing the funds while MPs were going on recess and had now failed to honour that commitment. He stressed the importance of disbursing NG-CDF funds promptly, as many students were waiting for assistance.
