PAA SUPPORTS NG-CDF

RAILA URGES SENATORS TO DEFEND DEVOLUTION

PAA PARTY OPPOSES REMOVAL OF NG-CDF

KAZUNGU WARNS RAILA AGAINST CONTRADICTING DEVOLUTION PRINCIPLES

While appearing before the senate ODM leader Raila Odinga urged Senators to rise to their constitutional duty and defend devolution IN NG-CDF, this was even as even as the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party pushed back against proposals to abolish the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

The debate over the future of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) has intensified, with the PAA Party and several Members of Parliament strongly opposing its proposed abolition.

While addressing the Senate on matters of revenue sharing and the future of devolution, ODM leader Raila Odinga stressed the importance of protecting Kenya’s devolved system of government. He called on Senators to play their oversight and legislative roles effectively, warning that any failure would risk weakening county government

“National Assembly and Senate form Parliament and their role is to represent, legislate and oversight and those roles are very important. The Executive uses the laws passed by Parliament to govern the country and the Judiciary interprets it, that’s the way we want it to be,” Raila remarked.

“We still have a long way to go. Together we can succeed and together we shall succeed. We have no option.”

Raila also encouraged both the National Assembly and the Senate to work together to ensure there are no challenges in resource distribution.

“So the National Assembly has also its sphere, and you say the national assembly should do its work, and together, both National Assembly and the Senate form the Parliament, and Parliament’s role is to represent, to legislate and to oversight,” Raila said.

He said the work of Parliament is central to the country’s governance because the executive depends on the laws it passes, while the judiciary interprets those laws.

“The executive uses the laws that are passed by Parliament to govern the country, the judiciary interprets, this is how we want it to be,” Raila said.

Meanwhile, in Ganze, Kilifi County, Ganze MP and PAA Secretary-General Kenneth Kazungu Tungule criticized Raila for what he termed as “mixed signals” regarding devolution. Kazungu made the remarks during the disbursement of NG-CDF cheques worth KSh 10 million, set to benefit over 1,000 learners.

“These funds are part of devolution since constituencies exist within counties, and it is a right of every Kenyan to be served by their elected leaders, and for a leader like Raila Odinga to push to have these funds abolished is taking us back to the dictatorial era,” he said.
Kazungu argued that scrapping NG-CDF contradicts the very principles of equitable development and decentralization that Raila has championed over the years.

He added that the PAA Party and its affiliated lawmakers are ready to face a referendum, should one be called to decide the future of the NG-CDF. He expressed confidence that the public would overwhelmingly vote to entrench the fund in the Constitution.

“Before 2002, rural schools were dilapidated, and the rate of school dropout was high. In Ganze, it was after the late Joseph Kingi became the MP that we started to witness development because of CDF, even though we were earlier represented by Katana Ngala,” said Tungule.

The PAA Party aims for transparency, accountability, and fair allocation of NG-CDF for the benefit of Kenyans.