‘Striking’ MPs paralyse sitting over CDF delays
Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro is blocked from entering Parliament chambers by a section of MPs who were protesting the delayed disbursement of NG-CDF cash back.
Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday staged a walkout to protest the delay in disbursement of over Sh53.3 billion National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) cash.
The lawmakers’ action paralysed the afternoon session, just two days before they go on break. The disgruntled MPs, chanting “no CDF, no recess”, walked out of the sitting that was being presided over by Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei, scuttling a notice of motion for the House to go on recess for the December holiday. The long recess is set to start this Thursday and last until February next year.
Attempts by Majority Whip and South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro to access the chamber were thwarted by the legislators who blocked the entrance for hours.
After the quorum bell was rang a number of times to notify the MPs to resume the sitting to no avail, Ms Shollei was forced to prematurely adjourn the sitting at 4pm.
The lawmakers are demanding the release of the monies saying the delay they will affect the disbursement of bursaries next year.
Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi said constituencies are yet to receive any NG- CDF disbursement with the current financial year almost half done. She observed that learners are set to resume school in January and parents will be looking up to them for bursaries.
“The law says the money should be disbursed quarterly but the government has not even disbursed a single coin,” said Ms Elachi.
The matter was brought up in the House by Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi and received support from across the political divide.
“This matter is very serious that the House must take a decision. It can not wait. It is not the business of MPs to look for money once we have appropriated the budget,” said Mr Wandayi. “ It is the work of the Executive to collect revenue and the argument that they economy is not doing well is not adding up. ”
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah despite concurring with Mr Wandayi that the matter is valid and dire, said: “I have engaged the CS in charge of National Treasury and PS State Department of Planning and the NG-CDF board CEO and they have indicated they are actually in the process of disbursing the funds by the time we break.” But his pleadings fell of deaf ears as the MPs became unruly.
A Kenya Kwanza MP, who did not want to comment on record, said the government should do the disbursement in time. .
“We are following through because of urgent matters to do with bursaries for learners. It has nothing to do with MPs but wananchi. The big issue is how do we attend to people and get their children back to school,” said the MP.
This is not the first time members of the 13th Parliament have protested over the NG-CDF. In January, while in Mombasa, threatened to cut short an induction seminar over the delayed release of the funds by the Treasury.
