Austerity Measures: Senator wants Constituency Development Fund abolished

Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda now says the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) should be scrapped as part of the measures to reduce expenditure.

The lawmaker says while the President has proposed austerity measures targeting his office, ministries, government departments, and agencies, NG-CDF gobbles up a lot of finances in the country’s budget every year.

She says the current economic situation in the country will be assuaged if members of the national assembly accept to do away with the kitty.

“MPs should agree to the scrapping of NG-CGF once they return from recess. The MPs must demonstrate leadership and sanction CDF removal. We will solve majority of our problems if we get rid of CDF,” The Senator said during a KBC Channel 1 TV interview Tuesday morning

She insists that functions that are development-related are being handled by the national and county governments and MPs should be left to focus on legislative functions.

“Let development be handled at the National and County level. We want to hear MPs both from the Majority and Minority sides coming out and declaring support for the abolition of CDF. This is what Gen Z who are on the streets want to hear. If we do that, we are okay,” she reiterated, stating that money budgeted for CDF can be channeled towards debt repayment.

While announcing the withdrawal of Finance Bill 2024, President William Ruto indicated that the additional tax measures proposed in the Bill were for raising money to among other things, increase NG-CDF by Kshs 10 billion.

While releasing the 2024-2025 Budget Statement, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof Njuguna Ndung’u proposed Ksh. 63.0 billion for the National Government Constituency Development Fund, to promote regional equity, reduce poverty and enhance social development.

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