A national youth-led civic platform, Young Patriots for Unity and Progress (YPUP-Kenya), has called for the withdrawal of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (National Assembly Bill No. 4 of 2025).
The Bill seeks to entrench the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF), National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), and the Senate Oversight Fund into the Constitution.
Kenyans across the country are currently submitting their views on the proposed Bill through public participation forums.
Speaking to KNA in Kakamega, the chairperson of YPUP-Kenya Kakamega chapter, Daniel Adikha, said the money currently allocated to the funds should instead be channeled to county governments.
He said most of the funds in the NGCDF are spent on bursaries and classroom construction, functions he believes county governments could easily manage if properly funded.
“These funds would be sufficient for the national government to fully devolve many other functions,” he added.
Adikha said county governments are currently struggling to perform their roles due to delayed disbursement of sharable revenue, a gap that could be bridged by redirecting NGCDF and NGAAF funds.
He also argued that there is no need for Senators to have a Senate Oversight Fund, saying they are already paid to perform that role and should be funded through institutional budgets.
Adikha emphasized that for true development and transformation of lives, Members of Parliament should focus on legislation and oversight to ensure that development funds are used prudently.
He called for the strengthening of existing structures and institutions to promote equitable development and urged all government entities to respect judicial decisions and uphold the rule of law.
“Members of Parliament should resist short-term political temptations and uphold the spirit of the 2010 Constitution. The Senate should defend devolution by rejecting frameworks that centralize project implementation,” he added.
By Moses Wekesa
