Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has called for the abolishment of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
In a statement on Tuesday, April 15, the former CS labelled the initiative as a breeding ground for corruption and abuse of public funds.
"NG-CDF is a corrupt, illegal and unconstitutional slush fund to unjustly enrich the MPs, their families and cronies and should, therefore, be scrapped," he said.
NG-CDF, created under the NG-CDF Act of 2015, was established to promote grassroots development by allocating funds directly to constituencies.
The primary aim of the initiative is to address socio-economic development at the constituency level, promoting equitable regional development.
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The NG-CDF operates through a structured framework to ensure effective management and implementation.
At the national level, the NG-CDF Board oversees the fund's administration, policy direction and budgetary provisions.
At the constituency level, each constituency has a CDF Committee responsible for developing project proposals in consultation with local residents.
At the community level, Project Management Committees (PMCs) are established to plan, implement.and sustain the approved projects within the community.
Annually, the national government allocates at least 2.5% of its revenue to the NG-CDF, which is then distributed among the 290 constituencies in Kenya.
In September 2024, the High Court ruled that the NG-CDF is unconstitutional.
The court determined that the NG-CDF Act of 2015, even after amendments in 2022 and 2023, violated constitutional principles such as separation of powers and devolution.
"The National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) as amended in 2022 and 2023 is hereby declared unconstitutional.
"NGCDF and all its projects, programs and its activities shall cease to operate on the stroke of midnight on June 30, 2026," High Court judges Kanyi Kimondo and Roselyn Aburili ruled.
Following the ruling, the fund is set to cease operations by June 30, 2026, unless the decision is overturned.
The National Assembly announced plans to appeal the ruling, and seek a stay on its implementation pending the outcome of the appeal.
