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{
    "id": 610294,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/610294/?format=api",
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    "content": "I believe that we need to look at this thing carefully. We can adhere to the Constitution and ensure that we do not lose the CDF as it is constituted. As an earlier speaker said, there is an 80 per cent turnover of Members of Parliament every time we have a general election. This confirms that the use of the CDF cannot ensure Members’ re-election to office. There is no way Members of Parliament can use the CDF to perpetuate their stay in office and still end up with such a high turnover every time we have a general election. We need to be aware of the fact that there are powerful forces against the CDF. They are from as far as Washington DC – the World Bank. When the CDF was first introduced in this country, the World Bank was totally against it. In fact, the World Bank was the first to raise the issue of separation of powers. That view is now percolating in the country. That is why I talked about Kenya being a middle income economy. The World Bank will be the main losers when Kenya’s economy grows as we will be taking fewer loans from them and they will not be making profit. As the people representing Kenyans, we need to recognise these facts and come out strongly but also intelligently. Let us look at the Act and come up with an Act that nobody can turn around and say it is unconstitutional. The Eleventh Parliament has had a history of losing court cases. We even lost a court case on our own benefits even though it was very clear in the relevant law that we should have got a percentage of what we earned; we lost it. I do not know whether we have appealed. If we have, it is good. Why are we losing cases? Perhaps, we are not having a proper look of the facts that we should be canvassing. In this particular situation, we need to clean up the law, so that we can have an Act that cannot be subjected to a court process on the basis of constitutionality. The CDF is not just audited by the internal auditors and the Auditor-General; it is also audited by the electorate because they see what we do with the money. Most of the CDF money is used under the Development Vote. Very little money is used under the Recurrent Vote. The CDF is audited at many levels. That is why it has led to such contribution to this country’s development, making Kenya to become a middle income economy. Just 2.5 per cent of the national Budget has helped Kenya to attain a middle income economy status. That is a fact we cannot lose track of. We need to keep it in mind tomorrow at the Kamukunji, as we come up with the details of how to approach this war. We should strive to win it not for ourselves but on behalf of Kenyans, who sent us here. Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker."
}