Treasury to release Ksh.5 billion CDF funds by Thursday

The National Treasury has committed to disburse Ksh.5 billion for the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) by Thursday this week.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula told MPs that he had received a letter from Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to release Ksh.5 billion before members proceed on a long recess, and Ksh.7 billion monthly be disbursed from December to June next year.

“By Thursday 5th December 2024, he will disburse Ksh.5 billion and thereafter he will disburse Ksh.7 billion every month until we complete June next year. From January to June 2025, it will be a disbursement of Ksh.7 billion every month,” he said.

“All the arrears for the financial year 2023/2024 have been cleared, when you go for recess, go and work for the people.”

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah urged MPs to fast-track submission of NG-CDF project proposals to the fund board to ensure quick approval and disbursement of the monies for several development projects.

“The CS National Treasury has assured he will disburse the Ksh.7 billion at the end of December to ensure we have adequate resources for the disbursement of bursaries at the beginning of January when the children are going back to school. Even as we go for long recess, those who are yet to submit proposal please push your boards to do so,” he said.

The NG-CDF allocation will be a matching fund for the construction of the Junior Secondary School (JSS) classrooms as Ksh.7.8 billion of the fund will construct 5,000 classes while Ksh.11 billion is coming from the Ministry of Education to construct 11,000 classes.

The Ministry of Education announced that it will ensure JSS classes are complete by January 2025 and that there will be no duplication in the construction of classes in the same school since NG-CDF will not construct classes where the ministry has already constructed them.

A three-judge bench in September this year dealt the NG-CDF kitty fund a blow after they declared the fund unconstitutional for violating the principle of separation of powers.

Justices Kanyi Kimondo, Mugure Thande, and Roselyne Aburili also cited failure by the National Assembly to consult the Senate.

The trio, sitting at Nairobi’s Milimani Law Courts, said the fund and all its projects, programs, and activities shall cease to operate on June 30, 2026.

The judges said it will not be in the interest of the nation or justice to bring it to an abrupt closure.