The debate over the future of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) is once again stirring political and legal tensions in the country.
While sections of the legal fraternity and civil society have called for its abolition, citing constitutional breaches, many Kenyans at the grassroots insist the fund remains one of the most impactful tools of development.
In Kiambu County, the push to safeguard the kitty is particularly strong with residents of Kiamwangi village in Gatundu South gathered for a public sensitization forum where they openly rejected any attempts to scrap the fund.
To them, NG-CDF is not just another government program, it is a lifeline.
“For years, NG-CDF has been credited with constructing classrooms, dormitories, police posts, and some health facilities in constituencies across Kenya.” They said
In Gatundu South, residents said the bursary program attached to the fund has enabled thousands of children from humble backgrounds to pursue education, shielding families from the crushing weight of school fees.
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“Without this bursary, most of our children would have dropped out of school. It is the only way the government has directly touched our lives,” said Jane Njeri, a mother of four who has benefitted from the kitty.
“This kitty is the reason we have better police stations, upgraded classrooms and our children from poor backgrounds continue to study uninterrupted. Instead of abolishing it, the government should be thinking of how to have it doubled as we can all see its impact at the village level,” stated Nelly Njoki, a parent.
Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe and his Ruiru counterpart Simon King’ara, who graced the forum, echoed the residents’ sentiments arguing that forces pushing for the abolition of NG-CDF were out of touch with the realities at the grassroots.
“The NG-CDF is not managed by MPs. It is run at the constituency level by volunteers who are not on salary, which makes it highly effective. If transferred elsewhere, a big portion of it will go into paying office staff instead of development,” Kagombe explained.
“The people must be consulted before this fund is scrapped. If need be, let a referendum be conducted. This is not about politicians but about Kenyans,” stated King’ara.
The calls for abolition of NG-CDF are not new as in 2015, the High Court declared the kitty unconstitutional, citing violations of the principle of separation of powers.
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The concern was that legislators, whose role is lawmaking and oversight, were now directly involved in executing development projects, a function traditionally reserved for the executive.
The issue escalated in 2022 when the Supreme Court reaffirmed the illegality of NG-CDF in its then form, reigniting debates over whether the fund should be restructured, transferred to county governments, or scrapped altogether.
Civil society groups and governance watchdogs argue that NG-CDF is prone to misuse and lacks adequate transparency mechanisms.
“Public funds must be handled by professional institutions within the executive, not politicians. Otherwise, accountability becomes blurred,” the Katiba Institute noted in a past advisory.
By John Kamau
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