A section of ODM legislators has openly disagreed with party leader Raila Odinga over his recent call to abolish the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), arguing that such a move would cripple education and development projects across the country.
The MPs, led by Kitutu Masaba legislator Clive Ombane Gisairo, said Raila’s position was ill-advised and risked denying millions of schoolchildren opportunities to access bursaries and better learning facilities. They pointed out that the fund has been central in building classrooms, financing education for needy students, and improving public infrastructure at the grassroots.
“Those surrounding our party leader should be on the watch so as not to misadvise him. His respect should not go down because of bad advice,” Gisairo said.
Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza echoed the sentiments, insisting that the NG-CDF had transformed lives and proven indispensable. “Anyone against CDF should know that the fund is here to stay. Leaders will come and go, but the fund will remain,” he remarked.
The lawmakers further highlighted the role of the fund in supporting security infrastructure, including the construction of police posts and community facilities, which they argued would stall if the kitty was scrapped. They vowed to resist any attempts to weaken or transfer its management, insisting that NG-CDF enjoys bipartisan support in Parliament as a tool for addressing development gaps at the constituency level.
Raila, speaking at the annual devolution conference last week, had argued that NG-CDF undermines devolution and should be managed by county governments. He maintained that MPs should focus strictly on their constitutional mandates of legislation, oversight, and representation, rather than managing funds. According to him, constituency-based allocations have become obsolete under devolved governance and should instead be handled by counties for efficiency and accountability.
The standoff highlights a growing rift within ODM on the future of NG-CDF, with legislators defending it as a lifeline for grassroots development while Raila insists its role has been overtaken by devolution.
