The process of amending the Constitution and enshrining the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) in law has been formally launched by members of Parliament.
Members of the National Assembly emphasized the necessity to secure the funds in a heated discussion to prevent any county projects that should be funded by the aforementioned kitty from stalling.
The National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), the Senate Oversight Fund, and the Economic Stimulus and Empowerment Fund will all become a part of the constitution upon approval by the House, according to the constitutional amendment proposal co-sponsored by Matungulu MP Stephen Mule and his Gichugu counterpart Robert Gichimu.
Mule informed the MPs that “our goal is to have these money preserved in the Constitution from this year till the time God will allow us on this planet.”
Similar to this, he urged MPs to show up in big numbers and support the bill’s passage when it came time to vote, so that the amendments may become law.
“We will continue on this adventure no matter what happens. Members from both sides of the divide will travel together on this expedition to ensure the survival of this concept.
The fund’s existing allocation of 2.5 percent of the budget is being increased by MPs to 5 percent.
Co-sponsor Gichimu thanked the MPs for their resounding support for the idea and vowed to adhere strictly to the law when amending the constitution.
Leader of the Minority Opiyo Wandayi stated in his contribution that CDF is a revolution that needs to be ingrained in the constitution in order to put an end to disputes between the Judiciary and Parliament.
“Anyone who arrives to render the NG-CDF inoperable is an enemy of the people. This house must decide to stand up for the people. By including NG-CDF in the constitution, this back and forth over the judiciary should come to an end, he added.
Otiende Amollo, Rarieda MP, contended that the 2015 NG-CDF Act was not unconstitutional and that the Treasury should not use any judgment as justification for keeping the funds on hold.
“As of right now, the 2015 Act’s CDF is still being paid out in accordance with no court order, not one from the high court, not one from the appeals court, and not one from the supreme court. As we plod through this amendment, I want to implore that the CDF be paid out “said he.
To avoid any incident that would spoil the mood and cause the revisions to fail, some MPs, like Tom Joseph Kajwang of Ruaraka, asked the bill’s authors to present four different bills.
The MPs will now withdraw after making their recommendations and draft the measure before it is formally committed to the house for consideration.
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