As legislators embark on a spirited effort to entrench the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) in the constitution, a section of Nyeri residents have given mixed reactions in regard to the ongoing debate.
The fate of the NG-CDF kitty remains uncertain to date after a High Court ruling in 2023 declared the fund unconstitutional, citing concerns over the separation of powers.
However, since then MPs have put up a spirited fight to salvage the lucrative fund after drafting the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill No. 4 of 2025 which proposes to entrench the kitty into the Constitution.
On Monday the National Assembly began conducting public participation forums across the 290 constituencies of Kenyans on whether to scrap or entrench the fund in the Constitution.
The hearings were supposed to run from May 5 to May 7.
The bill also seeks to entrench NG-CDF, the Senate Oversight Fund, and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) into the Constitution.
But as the debate grows, some residents in Nyeri have voiced strong opposition against attempts to abolish the fund whose inception dates back to 2003.
They argue that the fund has been critical in fostering community development and addressing long-standing issues that national government programs often overlook.
“Without the CDF, many of our local projects such as construction of classrooms and bursaries to needy pupils would come to a complete stop. The fund has played a critical role in filling development gaps that national programs often overlook, especially in remote and marginalized areas. This kitty is a vital resource that has empowered communities to identify and address most pressing and unique needs,” says James Njoroge, a resident.
For many families in rural areas, the CDF bursary has been a lifeline, enabling children to access education that would otherwise be beyond their reach.
However, the frequent delays in disbursing the CDF bursaries have raised concerns among members of the public.
Some families say the slow pace in disbursing the bursaries has on numerous occasions caused significant interruption in the learning of their children.
“The delay in disbursing the CDF bursaries this year has caused significant hardship for families including mine who depend on the money to pay school fees. My son, who has always relied on this support to stay in school, nearly missed an entire term because the funds weren’t available on time.” said Mary Wanjiru, a fruit vendor
“For many of us, the CDF is not just a source of community development; it’s a lifeline that enables our children to get an education, which is key to breaking the cycle of poverty and building a better future.”
But even as the majority of Kenyans want the fund retained, there are others who say they feel dissatisfied with its impact on the community.
Others claim the struggle that comes in trying to access funds is not worth the effort as what is often given out is a drop in the sea.
“The money allocated to NG-CDF is a lot but only a small number of the needy pupils benefit from it. The real beneficiaries of this money are greedy MPs, MCAs, and governors. Let that money be allocated to the Ministry of Education to support free education,” said Wanja Muriuki.
Corruption and favoritism have also been cited as some of the challenges that have marred the disbursement of the funds locking out many deserving cases in the process.
Consequently, some people like Charity Wangari are questioning the rationale behind efforts by MPs to entrench the fund into law terming the move suspect.
Though Wangari is not supporting terminating NG-CDF, she says prudence, transparency and accountability must be entrenched in its management as well.
“An MP is elected today, and just a few months later, he is transformed into an instant millionaire. That alone raises serious questions. It’s alarming. And now, instead of focusing on transparency and accountability, we are seeing a debate about where the money should go. The fact that there’s even a debate in regard to the fate of these funds is suspect enough that there could be a hidden motive at play,” she claims.
By Samuel Maina and Christine Mumbi
