From the desk of the Chairman

Despite all the criticism, Constituency Development Fund is a noble idea

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By Karue Muriuki

(Courtesy of The Standard)

Over the past couple of weeks, the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) has attracted comments from several quarters with commentators posing various questions. Reading through the questions that have been raised, one realises that the main concerns are about the likelihood of abuse of the fund by various players, more so Members of Parliament.

While it is healthy for Kenyans to express views about a fund that draws from public coffers, it would appear that most of the critics of CDF have not bothered to read the Constituencies Development Fund Act or to familiarize themselves with the way it operates.

For instance allegations have been flying around to the effect that the MPs and their accomplices are likely to misappropriate the funds.

While one cannot entirely legislate against crime, it would be unfortunate for Kenyans to shy away from forward-looking policies just because the funds thereof may be stolen. A thief is a thief, full stop.

It has nothing to do with CDF money or who is stealing. Government must be ready to deal with thieves of public funds, be they MPs or whoever.

All the same, the mechanisms put in place to guard against diversion of CDF funds meant for specific objectives are so elaborate that even the most creative person who may scheme to siphon the funds would have an extremely uphill task. There are no less than four layers through which the funds are channelled; including, the National CDF Management Committee, the District Projects Committee and, the Constituency Development Committee.

The actual disbursement to projects through cheques has to go through the District Account and the District Development Officer both of whom are trained professionals.

All these levels have a vetting and verifying role such that it would be very difficult for misappropriation of funds at any one level to go unnoticed at another level.

If for instance an MP or his or her accomplices thought of compromising everybody at all these levels, the purpose for misappropriating the money would not be worthwhile as there are too many people they would have to involve or bribe.

And, they would be caught anyway before very long.

Apart from the CDF management organs, there is the parliamentary select committee that moves back and forth across the organizational structure of the fund to oversee implementation.

The criticism levelled against MPs is that they are charged with the responsibility of appointing members of the Constituency Development Committee. This arrangement is based on very sound thinking; that since the MP is popularly elected and is legally recognised as the leader in the constituency, he or she is the official representative of the constituency. Who else should be in charge of people’s affairs at the grassroots level?

We also need to demystify the erroneous notion that the Constituency Development Committees are the sole authorities charged with the responsibility of implementation projects once they are approved. It is clearly stated in the Act that Government departments, especially at the district level, will be involved in the roll out of the projects.

As such, if a location in a constituency prioritises the construction of a borehole and a proposal to this end is approved, the district water engineer would be involved in the implementation, and likewise in other areas.

In essence, the CDF is akin to the District Focus for Rural Development only this time you focus on the constituency and you provide the money.

The concern about MPs using development projects to enhance their political stature in the constituency should be looked at from a positive rather than a negative perspective. In this era of accountability and transparency, a record of the use to which the fund was put in every constituency should be part of the questions and issues the MP would need to answer to at the end of his or her term.

Everyone must understand that CDF is a home-grown concept unlike all the other World Bank and donor-tailored programmes, which have not taken us anywhere for four decades. Some people who cannot accept new ideas would like to present an image of CDF as a chaotic arrangement in which MPs have conspired to either make money or to perpetuate their political position for eternity.

By the way, CDF is only 2.5 per cent of the Government revenue and it has generated actual development projects all over the place.

Can we now start thinking where the other 97.5 per cent is going and where it has gone for over 40 years if we still need dispensaries and culverts at local levels!

The Writer is chairman of the Constituencies Fund Committee and MP for OI’Kalou