Drama as MPs storm out of Parliament demanding release of CDF funds

Drama was on Tuesday witnessed in Parliament as legislators staged a walk-out over the State’s failure to release money meant for the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

The Members of Parliament, who are set to proceed on recess on Thursday, ended a Plenary session prematurely and broke into chants of ‘solidarity forever’ and ‘No CDF, No Parliament!’

A section of the lawmakers even blocked the entrance to Parliament and barred their colleagues from gaining access to the House, with National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro being one of those that were forcefully ejected.

Nyando MP Jared Okello said: “It is now six months down the line, the government is always supporting its Executive programmes to the detriment of CDF. So what we’re saying is that we have suspended all sittings and government businesses until CDF is expended to our schools.”

“In January, new students are joining Form One, there are those who are continuing in high school, so we’re saying they (government) must provide money now, not later,” he added.

This is not the first time MPs are staging a stand-off with the government over the CDF funds; in February this year, they threatened to frustrate passage of the supplementary budget if the money was not released on time.

This came after NG-CDF board CEO Yusuf Mbuno had told the MPs then that only Ksh.10 billion of the Ksh.44.2 billion intended to be released had been disbursed.