The Vihiga county residents support the enactment of a law to entrench the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) in the constitution.
Giving their views during the public participation exercise on the Bill that seeks to safeguard the Fund at the Vihiga Constituency office compound, they highlighted the many benefits they had reaped from the kitty.
Nicholas Lugalia, who described himself as a grassroots mobilizer, said the monies from this kitty has been used to among other things construct classrooms, build health facilities and police stations and provision of bursaries to the economically disadvantaged learners and thus the need to ring fence it.
Sylvia Ayoti from Emuhaya Sub County in the same breath lauded the NG-CDF, disclosing she was a benefitted from its bursary programme for her high school and university education.
Ms. Ayoti, however, suggested that a mechanism should be put in place to check against misappropriation of the Fund so that it lives up to its billing of fostering development in the constituencies.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Vihiga Constituency Earnest Kagesi who attended the function, echoed the views of people and pledged to fully support the Bill in Parliament.
He disputed the arguments from some quarters to the effect that the Fund should fall under county governments, stating that the division of revenue Act clearly determines the share of each of the two-tier government.
He pointed out that as MPs one of the roles is doing oversight on the government institutions and Funds, including NG-CDF.
The other kitties that are contained in the Bill are the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and the Senate Oversight Fund.
By Sammy Mwibanda
