Breakthrough for Women Reps in push for Sh70m development fund

By LILLIAN ALUANGA-DELVAUX

Kenya: One year after the country’s first poll under a new Constitution, County Women Representatives could be on the way to scoring their first major victory since their election.

The 47 women legislators, elected on affirmative action seats in the 2013 elections, have been pushing for passage of a Bill that will provide for establishment of the Affirmative Action Social Development Fund.

The kitty, which shall be a national fund consisting of monies not less than 0.5 per cent of revenue allocated to the national government, is expected to give a much needed life line to the women MPs who have been struggling to define their role under the newly created devolved structure.

“We understand that the chair of the Budget Committee has agreed to it (Bill) and if this is the case then it would be a major plus for County Women Representatives because the kitty will be factored into the new financial year,” says Migori County Women Representative Dennitah Ghati.

Development projects

Should the Bill become law, Women Representatives could be managing between Sh60-Sh70 million per financial year, but the figure could vary depending on the number of constituencies in a county.

While their counterparts in Parliament elected on single constituency seats enjoy the benefit of having a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to back development projects in their constituencies, the Women Representatives have been finding it difficult to work under a devolved structure that appears to have been ill prepared for their position.

Events in Parliament this past week point to the challenges the women legislators have had to contend with, leading to a walkout of the women MPs at some point to protest what they said was budget committee chair Mutava Musyimi’s “frustration of their efforts to carry out development activities in their counties”.

That there has been sibling rivalry between single constituency MPs and the Women Representatives, has not been in doubt, a factor largely fuelled by aspects of resource sharing.

In pushing for the passage of the Bill, the MPs argue that the Social Development Fund will not compete but rather complement the work of single constituency MPs who run CDF.

It has also been argued that the kitty will help create a more definitive role for the county women representatives. The Bill stipulates that the kitty shall be complementary to CDF and will among other objectives provide for Affirmative Action to vulnerable and marginalised groups.

The proposed legislation also seeks to provide for inception of gender sensitive enterprises in counties, enhance access to financial facilities for women, provide for socio cultural development and nurturing of youth talent and support the girl and boy child against marginalisation.

In particular, the Bill seeks to promote Affirmative Action through inception of small scale light industries and development of market in counties, promote table banking for women and empowerment of youth support to school drop outs.

It also seeks to promote adult education especially for the Affirmative Action groups in counties.

Constituency committees

If passed into law the Affirmative Action Social Development Fund will also provide for the setting up of rehabilitation and counselling centres for the control of drug and substance abuse in conjunction with the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada).

On matters finance, the Bill proposes that all disbursements be made through county bank accounts, and that a constituency Affirmative Action Social Development Fund committee be set up in every constituency.

The proposed law also stipulates that committees shall be responsible for monitoring projects and programs being undertaken at constituency level and that all projects shall be community based to ensure prospective benefits are available to a widespread cross section of residents of a particular area.

Perhaps in anticipation of challenges that may arise, the Bill also proposes that the social development fund shall not be used for supporting political bodies or activities or to support religious bodies or religious activities.