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{
    "id": 880460,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/880460/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 397,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Igembe Central, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kubai Iringo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1574,
        "legal_name": "Cyprian Kubai Iringo",
        "slug": "cyprian-kubai-iringo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to comment on this Motion on the NG-CDF by the Chair of the Committee, Hon. Maoka Maore, who happens to be my neighbour back at home. We have talked about NG-CDF at length in different forums. There was another Motion by the Special Funds Accounts Committee which was concluded just this afternoon. We were talking about NG-CDF. The bottom line is that this is the only Fund which I can say is felt at the grassroots in our communities. I thank the MPs who introduced it in the 7th or 8th Parliament. Unfortunately, the implementers of this important and critical Fund either do not know its seriousness, are not serious themselves or there is somebody who is trying to sabotage the same. This Fund is supposed to help the communities and our people to develop infrastructure and pay school fees. Funds were committed, budgeted for and proposed in July last year. We are in March and they have not disbursed even 30 per cent of the same. The piecemeal way these funds are released is becoming a problem. You cannot share it. You do not know where to start, which project to fund or complete. The users of these facilities are in dire need of the same. Currently, the biggest problem is the 100 per cent transition of students from primary to secondary school. All the parents, children and the communities are looking at NG-CDF and the Members of Parliament to ensure that the proposed classrooms are put in place. It is unfortunate that those funds are not there. We are in March and this is the time we are releasing bursaries to schools. The bursaries are a small amount because this money is being released in piecemeal. It is high time that the Chair of the NG-CDF Board cracked his whip and ensured that the board is efficient. I accept that there could be shortage of cash from the National Treasury, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) or wherever the Government is collecting the money from. Why do they not give a lump sum? They could disburse 25 per cent in September, then 25 per cent before we break for the long holidays, another 25 per cent in January and 25 per cent in March. I agree with the Chairman because he insists that this money should be disbursed by the end of March so that we can put it into use. Another big problem is that once this money is released to the accounts, if the AIE is not in place, that money can remain in the constituency’s account indefinitely. Disbursing the AIE and the funds to the constituency takes two to three weeks. You start wondering what the secretariat is doing. If you have released funds, why not disburse the AIE immediately so that the funds can be spent? It took my intervention in going to the NG-CDF offices to see why they have The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}