CDF Funds Delay: MPs Storm Out Of Mombasa Induction Retreat, Again

Members of Parliament yet again walked out of the parliamentary retreat at Pride Inn hotel in Mombasa on Tuesday, in protest of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF)’s delayed release.

The MPs accused the government of lying to them that they will release Ksh.2 billion every week since December.

“We are now on week 8 which means every constituency by now should have a minimum of 80 million shillings. Unless we get 100 million shillings per constituency, we are not going to participate in any parliamentary business going forward,” one legislator said.

He added that they will not attend the induction’s proceedings, nor leave the retreat until the money is disbursed.

“We are not going to leave Mombasa and we are not going to do any induction,” he added.

“As members of parliament we are going to remain firm on this until money is released. We are on the eighth month of the financial year and you want us to give money at the last quarter whereby we cannot advertise for works and send students back to schools?” another MP posed.

According to the furious lawmakers who also walked out of the retreat on Monday, the government official sent to appease them on Tuesday only gave “empty stories”.

“He came to request us to continue with the meeting and he has no solution. He is part of the problem. This is not about the government being broke because they collect taxes on a daily basis,” Embakasi East MP Babu Owino said.

During Monday’s stalemate, the MPs demanded an audience with Treasury CS Njuguna Ndungu, suggesting that the funds for their retreat be redirected to the CDF.

“Education supersedes everything, na sahii hakuna mambo ya induction, we want money… kama hamna pesa hamna induction,” Yatta MP Basil Robert Ngui said then.

The MPs were scheduled to attend a week-long induction workshop in Mombasa beginning Monday, January 23.

They were to be inducted the role of committees in carrying out their mandate as provided for under the Standing Orders.

The programme was to provide participants with an opportunity to be taken through the place of Committees in the National Assembly and the roles of Members of Parliament in their respective Committees.