My position is unpopular, but I don’t care, Raila stucks to his position on scrapping NG-CDF

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has sustained his call to have the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) scrapped, insisting it undermines devolution and violates the spirit of the 2010 Constitution.

Raila criticised the existence of multiple national funds and institutions whose functions, he said, overlap with those of county governments.

“Constituency is not a devolved unit. Devolution has two levels, national and county. It is not right for the national government to bypass counties and create another unit below them,” he said.

“Money meant for development should go to the counties, which are constitutionally mandated to implement projects.”

Speaking during the Katiba@15 celebrations at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), the ODM leader questioned the dual role of MPs, who both oversee and implement development projects through NG-CDF, calling it a clear conflict of interest.

“Parliament is supposed to represent, legislate, and provide oversight, not implement projects,” he said.

“Let parliament do what is constitutionally mandated to do. If you yourself is a contractor and you are member of parliament, who is oversighting you?” he posed.

Raila maintained that his position may not be popular but said he is undeterred.

“I know my position is unpopular, but I don’t care. There can be no compromise on this issue. It is a matter that should be taken to the people through a referendum,” he said.

Raila first made the call during the devolution conference in Homa Bay County. He proposed that all funds currently managed under the NG-CDF and NGAAF programmes be transferred to the counties.

Raila argued that the move would enhance efficiency, strengthen devolution, and improve service delivery.

He noted that CDF was introduced at a time when Kenyans were seeking equitable resource distribution under an “imperial presidency” that starved many regions of development funds.

“Most of the work was basically left to harambees, when you needed to build a school, harambee; a dispensary, harambee,” Raila said.

“But the system has since changed. We removed the patronage model, adopted devolution, created a constitutional commission to allocate resources, and empowered Parliament on budgetary matters.In this new order, CDF is obsolete.”

He criticised the fund for distorting the role of MPs, saying their constitutional duty is to represent the people, legislate, and oversee the national government, not to distribute bursaries or construct classrooms.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has, however, come in defence of the fund saying it is money after vertical division of revenue.

This means, he said, the fund is not a share of shareable revenue between counties and the national government.

“CDF is a share of shared revenue on the side of the national government. So, governors and the CoG have absolutely no issue and no interest in CDF. It is not their money,” the Speaker said.

He said the national government’s unit of focus for development includes the constituency.

“We want to make everybody who has doubts about CDF understand that it is not an affront to devolution, it is not in competition with devolution, and it does not undermine devolution. It is a national government activity,” Wetang’ula said during an event in Mombasa last week.