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{
"id": 1018020,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1018020/?format=api",
"text_counter": 212,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mwingi West, WDM – K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Charles Nguna",
"speaker": {
"id": 13445,
"legal_name": "Charles Ngusya Nguna",
"slug": "charles-ngusya-nguna"
},
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity given. Let me congratulate the Committee for the good job it has done. Hon. Kathuri Mununga was very eloquent and articulate on it. I have realised that most of the villages in this country have never seen any other Government Fund, except the NG – CDF, which is given to the constituencies. I would like to laud His Excellency Mwai Kibaki for bringing up the issue of NG – CDF. Were it not for NG – CDF, most of the villages would have not seen anything from the Government. So, it is acting as a way of equalising the development and everything in this country. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I have realised from the Report that majority of the constituencies are experiencing the same challenges and problems when it comes to issues of NG – CDF. If you look at what has already been raised, for instance, the issue of district accountant who is supposed to authorise every cheque that is going to leave that office, we share the same problem. It is high time that we started engaging them and ensuring that the cheques and everything is delivered on time. You will find out that the Committee has already approved a project and it is taking too long, even a month, for the district accountant to approve that cheque. Those are some of the issues that we need to iron out. When we appoint our committees, it is very important to encourage the Board to be fair when it comes to the issue of tendering. I have been surprised in many occasions when suppliers, contractors and businessmen come to my office to ask for tenders. But tenders are not given by MPs. So, it is also high time that we educated Kenyans on how things are done, with the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) Act and the NG – CDF Committee. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I have realised that if this Fund is properly utilised, we can see a lot of development. But I will give you an example. When it comes to issues of bursaries in some constituencies, you will find that a constituency somewhere has only 3,000 students while mine has over 30,000 students schooling in the same constituency, and we are getting the same allocation of bursary. So, it is high time we also created another Fund, apart from the Equalization Fund that we have been talking about in NG - CDF, to ensure constituencies which have a large population and high number of schools do not get discriminated in this issue. If you look at the number of schools that I have in my constituency, over 208 schools, and we are being given the same amount with Starehe Constituency, which has like seven schools... That is not a fair deal. We need to look at these issues. There is no way we will talk of Ward Development Fund without NG – CDF. We need to enhance it. If the Ward Development Fund can be implemented the way NG – CDF is done, we are going to achieve meaningful development. You will see that some of the activities which are done by the NG – CDF are limited. For instance, in the area where I come from, the perennial issues of water shortages are always there. But I cannot do anything with NG – CDF money, yet, I will not be addressing the issues of that community in particular. So, with these few remarks, Hon. Deputy Speaker, let the NG – CDF perform other activities like water, roads, and other things apart from security and education. I thank you. I support."
}