In Summary
- Waititu proposes that members of parliament MPs should not handle bursaries because of political favoritism.
- He suggests that it therefore should be excluded from the CDF government kitty and handled centrally.
- The Supreme Court declared the disbursement of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) funds illegal.
Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu is now calling for the transfer of the bursary funds from the Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF).
He accused the MPs of political favoritism and proposed that the funds be handled centrally by the government.
“I would recommend this issue of distribution of bursaries, which I have been involved in for a long time. I recommend that they be removed from the members of parliament,” Waititu said.
Waititu accuses MPs of Political Favoritism
Waititu said that discrimination is rampant in the current process. He accused the Members of Parliament for favoring their political strong holds during disbursement of the funds.
He said that the leaders give more funds to their political strong holds than other areas who get just a little. He asked the bipartisan talks committee to get rid of the discriminatory practice by considering his recommendation.
“The people who support the MP tend to benefit more than the people who do not support it. If we want to equalize, the national government should take over the distribution of bursaries.” Waititu said.
The sittings were held at the Bomas of Kenya, chaired by Kalonzo Musyoka for Azimio Coalition and Kimani Ichungwa for the Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
Currently, the Members of Parliament (MPs) are responsible for managing and distributing the NGCDF within their constituencies.
READ ALSO:Court Finds Ex-Kiambu Governor Waititu Answerable In Ksh 588 Million Graft Case
Court Ruling CDF
The NGCDF has been a contentious issue, particularly among MPs who have vigorously fought to retain control over the funds.
This controversy escalated following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that declared the disbursement of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) funds unconstitutional.
READ ALSO:Tim Wanyonyi On EACC Radar For Alleged Misappropriation Of CDF
In the landmark decision, Chief Justice Martha Koome declared the CDF null and void, citing violations of the division of functions between national and county governments.
