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{
    "id": 1556635,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1556635/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 64,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. As you rightly said, this is a matter that we have discussed at the House Business Committee. As the Member for Bumula said last week in his Point of Order, NG-CDF is not money going to Members of Parliament. Members of Parliament are elected by their people to represent them in this House. Part of that representation is to advocate for resources to go, especially to vulnerable children who, up to date, have yet to get bursaries. It is also not lost on many people in the country that, with the advisory by the Controller of Budget, all bursaries from county governments to vulnerable children should stop. Only NG- CDF is left to help these children. Many children, especially college-going students, are waiting for bursaries. The best we can do as a House is to hold the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary accountable for why they cannot disburse the NG-CDF in time. Previously, we got a commitment from the national Treasury that they would have disbursed all NG-CDF money before the end of the financial year, which is only two months away. I agree that it is less than 24 hours before the Cabinet Secretary appears before the House. I encourage Members to be present because there are not usually very many in the House when Cabinet Secretaries appear to answer questions most Wednesdays. This is the time to hold the Cabinet Secretary to account for his words. He committed to making monthly disbursements to ensure all the money is disbursed by the end of June. Therefore, whatever magic he will do between now and 30th June 2025, 100 per cent of NG-CDF money must be disbursed. Hon. John Mbadi has sat where we are sitting and knows what NG-CDF is to the people of Kenya. Let me repeat: he knows what NG-CDF is to the people of Kenya, not to Members of Parliament. Members of Parliament will still earn their salaries and go about their representation and oversight work without NG-CDF. The Fund means a lot to the people of Kenya. There are places where children do not go to school, not just because of lack of bursary. The national Government now prides itself on building over 14,000 classrooms over the last year. However, the number of classrooms that NG-CDF builds around the country in a year is probably triple that number. It is only through the NG-CDF that children access schools, and some communities get security through the construction of police posts and police stations. We are lifting a very huge burden from the national Government through NG-CDF. Therefore, the Cabinet Secretary of the national Treasury has no choice. Tomorrow, he must come prepared, if not with his words, then with his chequebook. Tomorrow, it is pesa, pesa and pesa to NG- CDF. Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
}