MPs boycott induction retreat over delayed NG-CDF

More than 200 MPs have walked out of an induction seminar in Mombasa over the failed disbursement of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

The MPs want the state to close down schools due to lack of fees for the thousands of students who depend on bursaries until the funds are disbursed.

The parliamentarians from all political parties have further vowed to paralyze parliamentary sessions in Nairobi until their pleas are heard.

The legislators wanted the delay in releasing the funds addressed.

In a video that has since gone viral, the MPs who were at a resort in Mombasa were seen chanting “Wabunge Msilale bado Mapambano” (MPs don’t sleep the struggle continues).

Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri took to Twitter to say that he was in support of the retreat’s cancellation and the resources channelled to working for the people of Kenya.

He insisted that the education of Kenyan children should be prioritised over anything.

However, according to the National Assembly’s Twitter account, the retreat is ongoing and had only sort clarification over the delay and audience with the National Treasury.

“During the opening session, MPs present in the meeting sort clarification over the delayed disbursement of the National Government Constituency Development Funds for education bursaries even as schools open today across the country, MPs further sort audience with the Treasury.”

Jumuiya news has since established that the MPs have received Sh7 million only, of which Sh2 million goes to administration issues and Sh5 million for bursaries. The MPs said they expected at least Sh50 million (for bursaries) in their NG-CDF accounts terming their walkout genuine and not political.

They said it’s absurd to use billions to host MPs in the five-star hotel, yet thousands of children are at home due to lack of school fees.

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“The Cabinet Secretary Treasury Prof Njuguna Ndung’u has been promising that we will have the NG CDF but so far no monies have been remitted to the accounts, yet we are here using billions of monies in this hotel. Yet our students and their parents who voted for us are at home. This defeats the purpose of elected as MPs,” said Timothy Kipchumba MP Marakwet West.

He said they have walked out because the government has not honoured its promise of remitting the NG-CDF funds.

“We were elected on a platform of change and assisting the hustler community. Many parents cannot afford fees that is why we believe bursary is one of the ways of enforcing the bottom-up economic model. We have downed our tools until this issue is resolved,” he added.

He said they have summoned the CS Treasury severally, but he has never honoured the summons. However, he said they will continue their oversight role as mandated by the constitution.